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Arsenal transfer news: Emile Smith Rowe set to leave on loan as Wolfsburg enter race for teenager’s signature

Exclusive: Arsenal are weighing up approaches from a host of Premier League, Championship and Bundesliga clubs

Tom Kershaw
Wednesday 24 July 2019 13:09 BST
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Arsenal starlet Emile Smith Rowe will leave the club on loan this summer, but a decision as to where he will play next season will not be finalised until the highly touted teenager has recovered from injury.

Wolfsburg are the latest Bundesliga club to enquire about taking the 18-year-old on loan, who made a positive impression in Germany with RB Leipzig, despite being limited to 28 minutes of playing time due to injury.

Leipzig remain interested in Smith Rowe returning for another year, as widely reported towards the end of last season, while a number of Premier League and Championship clubs have expressed concrete interest to the club and the player’s representative.

One La Liga side have also made an approach for the versatile midfielder, who can play as a No 10 or a winger, as well as being trialled upfront by Unai Emery against Sporting Lisbon in the Europa League last November.

A decision will be taken over his future within the next four weeks as Smith Rowe completes his rehabilitation with the first-team squad, while on the club’s pre-season tour in the US.

Senior figures at Arsenal see Smith Rowe as the club’s most exciting academy prospect and rewarded him with a five-year contract last summer after breaking through on the pre-season tour of Singapore.

The U17 World Cup-winner continued to impress during Arsenal’s European group stage run, scoring twice in four appearances, as well as adding another goal in the League Cup before joining Leipzig on transfer deadline day in January.

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