Arsenal have been fairly busy on the transfer front this summer and are expected to step up their activity in the coming days.
The Gunners have already signed Riccardo Calafiori and are said to be on the verge of announcing the arrival of Mikel Merino.
Arsenal have also been busy on the outgoings front, with seven players having left the Emirates Stadium since the end of last season.
Mohamed Elneny, Cedric Soares and Arthur Okonkwo have left on free transfers, while Nuno Tavares, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Karl Hein have been loaned out.
Arsenal have sold just one player so far this summer, and he has already made a big impact for his new club, with his debut goal coming in his second game.
Troy Deeney hails Arsenal academy graduate Emile Smith Rowe
The player in question is Emile Smith Rowe, who swapped Arsenal for Fulham in a deal reportedly worth £35million (Goal.com).
Smith Rowe opened the scoring for the Cottagers in their 2-1 win over Leicester City at the weekend.
The Arsenal academy graduate’s efforts saw him make Troy Deeney’s Premier League Team of the Week on BBC Sport.
“I really enjoyed the way he played,” wrote Deeney.
“It looks like he played with a freedom and it looks like he is growing into the game as Fulham’s main man, which he obviously wanted to be at Arsenal.
“He scored a really good goal but created problems all day.”
Smith Rowe made the cut along with former Gunners teammate David Raya, who shone in Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Aston Villa.
Good to see Smith Rowe thriving
Arsenal deserve credit for not kicking up a fuss with regards to selling one of their players to a Premier League – and London – rival.
There’s always the risk of a player coming back to haunt his former club, but the Gunners were thinking of Smith Rowe first and foremost.
Arsenal didn’t look for an overseas buyer first and foremost, they didn’t make Smith Rowe train away from the first-team squad and they didn’t strip him of his squad number.
The Gunners did a deal with a club which represented the best opportunity for the player to continue in the Premier League, and without even leaving his home city.
Smith Rowe has hit the ground running at Fulham and it’s good to see him thriving already.
