THE GOLDEN EMILE
Smith Rowe the gem in Arteta’s tarnished crown as Gunners boss puts his faith in next generation for the long road back
FOR all the criticism levelled at Arsenal in recent years – and every last drop has been justified – there can be no doubt Mikel Arteta is putting together a decent young team.
There will be no better piece of business done by the club this year than the extension of Emile Smith Rowe’s contract against the backdrop of two bids from Aston Villa.
The 21-year-old midfielder is a seriously gifted young player, who, if he continues to develop as he has done, could go right to the top.
Bukayo Saka, 19, is now an established England star who will again be hugely important for the club this season.
While £50million defender Ben White will be on a mission to show that Arsenal were right to splash so much money on a 23-year-old who has made only 36 Premier League appearances.
And that he can add substance at the back to match the style the club has further upfield.
Leicester’s attacking midfielder James Maddison remains a target for boss Arteta, while strikers Tammy Abraham, of Chelsea, and Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez are both being looked at.
And, with the futures of PierreEmerick Aubameyang, Alex Lacazette, Hector Bellerin, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Joe Willock and Reiss Nelson up in the air, this month promises to be hectic for Arteta and Gunners transfer chief Edu.
Arteta spoke several times last season about the need to redevelop his squad and the club is appearing to back him.
White might be the only big-fee signing so far, but Maddison would cost around £60m – a deal which could well include players going to the King Power. Midfielder Albert
Sambi Lokonga, 21, has been snapped up from Anderlecht for around £16m and promising left-back Nuno Tavares, also 21, has been brought in from Benfica for £7m as back-up to Kieran Tierney.
Sheffield United goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale is another target, with Bernd Leno’s future undecided.
The key now for Arteta is to make sure he retains the right old heads to play with the youngsters – and to get midfielder Thomas Partey fit as quickly as possible.
Partey is set to miss around a month at the start of the season and, as the glue who could pull everything together for Arsenal, getting him back to partner Lokonga or Granit Xhaka will be vital.
So the good news for Gunners fans is that the green shoots of their recovery have started to appear.
But Arteta (below, with Saka) desperately needs the club’s fans to buy in to what he is doing.
The Emirates has been a hostile place of late and, if the supporters do not accept another year of transition, then a lot of the good work he has done this summer could be undone – and fast.
The top six might be a step too far for them this season.
But those supporters whose glasses are halffull will be hoping maybe Arteta is now putting together a team that could really come to the boil in the next couple of
years.