‘First refusal’ clause sees West Ham burst past Newcastle in ambitious chase for Arsenal midfielder
Arsenal duo Emile Smith Rowe and Thomas Partey
West Ham United have moved past Newcastle United in the race for Arsenal outcast Emile Smith Rowe thanks to a ‘first refusal’ clause, according to a report.
There are growing reports Smith Rowe could depart Arsenal in one of the two 2024 transfer windows amid his problematic situation at the Emirates. The midfielder fell down the Arsenal pecking order last season after undergoing groin surgery and has not been able to force his way back into Mikel Arteta’s plans since.
Last term, Smith Rowe only made 14 appearances across all competitions, while he has played just 135 minutes this season – which works out at one and a half full matches.
The 23-year-old has great potential, and he was expected to realise that in North London. But he is struggling to get ahead of Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz in the first team, which means he might have to consider a transfer to a different club to kickstart his career.
Newcastle have generally been viewed as his most likely destination in recent weeks. But according to an eye-catching report, it may actually be West Ham that snap Smith Rowe up.
As per Football Transfers, David Moyes’ side have ‘first refusal’ on Smith Rowe, should he be put on the transfer market by Arsenal.
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West Ham cleverly negotiated this option when selling Declan Rice to the Gunners in the summer for £105million. And it could help the Irons complete a statement signing next year.
Interestingly, the report claims Smith Rowe was Moyes’ preferred attacking midfield target in the summer, ahead of Mohammed Kudus. However, it was the Ghana international who ended up joining as West Ham swooped in after Chelsea’s talks with Ajax stalled.
Emile Smith Rowe a target for West Ham
But, given the versatility of both players, Moyes could still end up having Smith Rowe and Kudus in his squad. West Ham could be forced into signing someone of Smith Rowe’s profile if Lucas Paqueta moves on, as the influential midfielder is still being courted by Manchester City and Newcastle.
It would intriguing to see how Smith Rowe would get on, should this prospective move to West Ham reach completion. As the competition for places at West Ham is not quite as fierce, he would likely be given more opportunities to impress.
That being said, it would still not be guaranteed that Smith Rowe would start every week. In addition to Paqueta and Kudus, Moyes can select the likes of James Ward-Prowse, Pablo Fornals, Jarrod Bowen, Maxwel Cornet and Said Benrahma in positions Smith Rowe tends to operate in.
