21 January 2023 , 22:30
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Emile Smith Rowe still has a future at Arsenal despite Leandro Trossard’s £28million arrival from Brighton.
That’s the message from Gunners boss Mikel Arteta, who has an abundance of creative midfielders at his disposal. Smith Rowe missed four months of the season through injury and has seen Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli cement their places in the team and the team at the top of the table.
Now the signing of Trossard has cast more doubt among supporters about the future of the academy graduate. But Arteta said: “The message to Emile I send him every single day: he needs to be fit and available, and if he is those things then a player of his quality, like this, he will play a lot of minutes.”
Trossard, frozen out at Brighton after a fallout with boss Roberto De Zerbi, trained with the Gunners on Friday and is available for selection today.
Arteta is hoping new recruit Leandro Trossard can hit the ground running and help Arsenal in their Premier League title tilt. The Gunners landed the 28-year-old Belgium international on Friday, signing him from Brighton for an initial fee of £21million.
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The move is believed to have been completed in time for Trossard to be available for Sunday's crunch visit of Manchester United. The transfer came about after Chelsea had pipped Arsenal to the signing of Ukraine winger Mykhailo Mudryk.
Emile Smith Rowe still has a future at Arsenal despite Leandro Trossard joining (Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)But Trossard, who scored seven goals for the Seagulls this season before making the move, is already proven in the Premier League. Asked how important that could be as his side look to win the title for the first time since 2004, Arteta replied: "Very important.
"We have to think short-term, but as well medium and long-term. He gives us all that. He's a very intelligent player. When you look at what he's done in the last few years, he's a player who fits our way of playing. We are happy to have him."
Trossard played under Arsenal assistant Albert Stuivenberg at Genk and Arteta said he had spoken to the Dutchman to get a glowing reference.
"We talked about everybody that is connected that we want to recruit because character is something crucial, but as well to understand how they are going to be around the club, but as well personal conversations," he added.
"Albert did (give a good reference). We are really happy to have him. He's a player we followed for a while. The opportunity came and we had the necessity for a player in the front line who is versatile enough to play different positions.
"He knows the league, he has enough experience here and I think he can have an immediate impact on the team."