Mikel Arteta has played down the idea of Emile Smith Rowe leaving Arsenal to join West Ham United on loan.
The 23-year-old burst onto the scene during the 2021/22 season, scoring 10 Premier League goals in 33 appearances after he was handed the club's famous number 10 shirt.
But surgery on a groin injury prevented Smith Rowe from building on his breakthrough campaign and he has struggled to reclaim a place in Arsenal's side. He has played just 116 minutes of Premier League football this season, starting just one game for last year's runners-up, and saw the club invest heavily on Kai Havertz in the summer.
Multiple reports linked Smith Rowe with a loan move to West Ham on Friday, with David Moyes looking to bolster his attacking options after losing to Lucas Paqueta and Jarrod Bowen to injury and Mohammed Kudus to AFCON duty.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of Arsenal's Premier League clash with Crystal Palace, Arteta appeared to dismiss the idea of Smith Rowe leaving, and instead suggested that more minutes will be afforded to the Hale End graduate after he impressed in training.
"I’m really happy with Emile. He’s in the right trajectory. Now, he’s settled, he’s training really well and you know i’m not going to talk about individual situations," Arteta said.
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"No changes. Emile is Emile," he continued, asked about Smith Rowe's demeanour. "We know he’s got incredible qualities and we’’re really happy to have him. What he needs now is chances to put all the desire and quality that he has on the pitch. In order to do that we have to give him minutes."
Smith Rowe was strongly linked with a move to Aston Villa in the summer of 2021 but opted to stay at the club in order to sign a new five-year contract. Alongside Bukayo Saka, he became one of Arsenal's most important attacking outlets, netting double figure Premier League goals in his first full season in the team - the first academy graduate to do so since Cesc Fabregas during 2009/10.
He has been capped three times by England's senior team, scoring his first goal in a 10-0 drubbing of San Marino during qualification for the 2022 World Cup.
