West Ham have been boosted in their attempts to sign Arsenal youngster Emile Smith Rowe, following a fresh update regarding his future.
The Hammers are continuing to enjoy life under David Moyes, still basking in the glory of last season’s UEFA Europa Conference League success and also impressing in the Premier League in 2023/24.
West Ham did lose star man Declan Rice during the summer transfer window, however, with the 24-year-old moving to Arsenal in a big-money deal.
While there were concerns that the Englishman would be a huge loss for Moyes’ men, they have handled life without him well to date, with new signings Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse fitting in seamlessly.
Further improvements can still be made to West Ham’s squad moving forward, though, and one player who has been linked with a move to the London Stadium is Smith Rowe.
Now, a new update from Football Insider claims that there will be “significant interest” in the young attacker if he is allowed to leave Arsenal, with a lack of playing time coming his way this season, not starting a single Premier League game.
A January exit is mooted in the report, with Smith Rowe failing to agree a new deal at the Emirates, which is when West Ham could swoop in.
The 23-year-old could be a really astute signing by the Hammers, either in the January window or next summer, given the technical quality and long-term potential he has.
Smith Rowe has scored 18 goals and registered 11 assists in 102 appearances for Arsenal, and while that is a solid return for a young player, having the likes of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli ahead of him in the pecking order means first-team action will be hard to come by moving forward.
He could be afforded more minutes for West Ham, which could suit him greatly, although he would still have to perform at a consistently high level to show Moyes that he is worthy of being a key starter.
At just 23, though, Smith Rowe has so much football ahead of him, and if he can rid himself of some of the injury problems that have plagued him recently, the Hammers could see him as a great option to bring in.