Fulham have completed the signing of England international midfielder Emile Smith Rowe from Arsenal in a club-record deal.
The 24-year-old bids an emotional farewell to the Gunners following 14 years of service, in which he blossomed into an integral player for Mikel Arteta after coming through the academy system.
Smith Rowe enjoyed his first-team breakthrough in the second half of the 2020-21 season and lit up North London the following campaign, netting 10 goals in a terrific Premier League season.
However, injuries soon began to plague the midfielder, who also faced intense competition for starts on the left from Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard, while Martin Odegaard held down the number 10 slot.
Smith Rowe only played 19 times for his boyhood club last season, including a mere three starts in the Premier League, and he leaves with a record of 18 goals and 13 assists in 115 matches across all competitions.
© Imago
Mikel Arteta talks up Smith Rowe 'love' after exit
The 24-year-old travelled to the USA for Arsenal's pre-season tour, but he has not been involved in any of the Gunners' transatlantic fixtures, with head coach Arteta previously confirming that talks were happening in the background.
Now, Smith Rowe has been officially announced as a Fulham player on a five-year contract, and Arsenal are expected to receive an initial £27m fee, which could rise to £34m in performance-related bonuses.
Should Fulham end up forking out the full £7m in add-ons, Smith Rowe would become Arsenal's second-most expensive sale of all time, only behind Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's £35m switch to Liverpool in 2017.
Arteta and sporting director Edu both paid tribute to one of Arsenal's fan favourites upon the announcement of his exit, with the former telling the Gunners website: "Emile's commitment, attitude and energy every day was first class, always stepping up when the team needed him.
"He came into the first team and was instrumental during a difficult moment for us. He created an important impression, with his strong performances making our supporters proud.
Thank you, Emile ❤️
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 2, 2024
Edu hails "important and positive" Smith Rowe transfer
"I'm sad that Emile is leaving us, but excited for him to take this new opportunity at this stage of his career, when he needs to be starting matches and playing regularly. Emile is loved by everyone at the club and leaves us with our gratitude, absolute respect and best wishes. We all wish Emile and his family well at Fulham."
Meanwhile, Edu hailed a "positive collaboration" with Fulham to find Smith Rowe a new place to thrive, adding: "Emile is loved by us all at the club. He has been with us for many years, and we are so proud that he has developed through our Academy system into our first team.
"It has been a positive collaboration to find the right place for Emile, where he will continue to grow and make his mark on the Premier League. We have completed an important and positive deal for everyone. We thank Emile for everything he gave to Arsenal and we wish him well in the next stage of his career."
Smith Rowe himself labelled his £34m switch the "perfect step" for his career, telling FFCtv: "I'm finally here, so I'm really happy for me and my family – it's a good moment. I'm really excited, I just wanted to get here as quickly as possible so I could get going with my teammates.
"Listening to the project, speaking to the Manager, and seeing what players we have here already, I think it's an exciting project for me, and definitely the perfect step for my career going forward."
As well as becoming Arsenal's second-most expensive departure of all time, Smith Rowe is now Fulham's record transfer, surpassing the £25.6m that the Cottagers paid for Jean Michael Seri in 2018.
