You're quite correct, Tam: and not only that, it'd be a bad time to sell Smith Rowe in terms of the fee, given what he's capable of that we're not seeing. I was incorrect to put him on a list of players who should be put up for sale if they're not going to feature. But that's where a loan comes in.
Without antagonism, there is a bit of a fantasy landscape in the posts above. Smith Rowe needs a novel's worth of plucky comeback narrative to compete with Martinelli or Trossard.
If we are going to talk disrespect to young players, Martinelli cops it harsh around here. Younger than Emile. 3,000 minutes and 12 league goals. Runs ninety plus a week, and has weapons of movement and finishing that will remain beyond Smith Rowe. Just signed a long contract on terms that look generous to Arsenal.
These two players have very different traits and don't need to compete with each other. Martinelli's half way between left wing and centre forward, and Smith Rowe's half way between left wing and number 10. But at the moment it is silly to imagine the latter can start ahead of the former. Leaving aside the fact Smith Rowe is desperately unfit and out of form without a clear end in sight, the balance versus Saka and Ødegaard's partnership, around which the rest revolves, is way off. Without Martinelli or Trossard pushing out to the byline there would be far less width and space for the whole side.
Of course we all want Smith Rowe to make that comeback but he does have to actually do it. If we think he's as good as we do, his home in this Arsenal set-up has to be the left 8, which means pushing towards Ødegaard's 12 kilometres of running, twice a week. He is levels and levels below that at present, so much so that we evidently need a signing in that position because he's nowhere near ready.
What should bother anyone who cares about Smith Rowe, given how decisive this next period is in terms of his development, is that he gets a full, relatively injury free season under his belt. This may well be implausible at Arsenal. Another season with a fraction of starts in our second string or less will hold him back. I really hope the player understands that himself.
