Arsenal reject offers from TWO London rivals for star willing to ditch Arteta for understandable reason

Arsenal have rejected offers from Fulham and Crystal Palace for Emile Smith Rowe who is willing to ditch Mikel Arteta for one specific reason, and improved bids could now be on the way, according to reports.

Smith Rowe once looked the future of Arsenal’s attack, though injuries have not only seen his career stall, but also diminished his importance to manager Mikel Arteta.

Martin Odegaard is now the creator-in-chief, while Kai Havertz has also proven himself more than capable of playing in a box-to-box midfield role.

Smith Rowe can play on the wings if required, though competition out wide is fierce. Bukayo Saka is unmoveable on the right flank, while Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard are among the Premier League’s deadliest wingers on their day on the left side.

As such, Smith Rowe was largely relegated to a bench role last term, with the vast bulk of his 19 appearances in all competitions coming as a substitute.

The end result has seen Arsenal soften their stance on the academy graduate and the Gunners are now willing to entertain a lucrative sale. The proceeds from the sales of homegrown stars represent pure profit on the balance sheet.

Furthermore, numerous reports including from Sky Sports and the Evening Standard all state Smith Rowe is open to leaving too.

The reports all concurred that the 23-year-old’s primary motivation for wanting a fresh start is the lure of being a regular starter.

Smith Rowe has two years remaining on his contract, meaning Arsenal’s chance to extract maximum value is right here and now.

READ MORE: The key contract details of every Arsenal first-team player: Expiry dates, weekly wages, agents…

Improved offers expected after Crystal Palace, Fulham bids rejected

According to multiple reports, Fulham have tabled an as yet unspecified bid for Smith Rowe. Cottagers boss Marco Silva is understood to be a huge admirer of the player.

However, Sky Sports state Fulham aren’t alone in acting on their interest, with fellow London club Crystal Palace also making a bid.

How much the Eagles have put on the table wasn’t revealed either, though what is clear is Arsenal have rejected both bids.

All eyes are now on whether Fulham and Palace return with improved second offers. Given the pair have money to spend, it would not be a surprise if new bids are made.

Palace have already sold Michael Olise to Bayern Munich for a fee just north of £50m. Fulham have also lost one of their best players to Bayern following Joao Palhinha’s £47.4m switch to Bavaria.

Arsenal’s ideal scenario would be both Fulham and Crystal Palace remaining in the race and the pair ignite a bidding war that drives up the price.

Arsenal clear-out gathering pace

Other stars Arsenal are willing to listen to offers for include Kieran Tierney, Jakub Kiwior and Eddie Nketiah, to name just three.

Nuno Tavares has joined Lazio on a season-long loan that contains an obligation to buy worth roughly £7m. Arsenal have inserted a sell-on clause that will activate once the obligation to buy has been triggered.

Elsewhere, Albert Sambi Lokonga completed his move to Sevilla on Monday, though his loan switch contains a €12m option to buy, not an obligation.

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