Emile Smith Rowe is the latest in a long line of names to be linked with a move to Chelsea this summer.
The 23-year-old is reportedly seen as the ideal candidate for the Blues, who are looking to sign a winger that can also operate in the middle as a No.10. Smith Rowe can play virtually anywhere across the front-line and considering he is seemingly not part of Mikel Arteta’s immediate first-team plans, Chelsea believe they can persuade the attacker.
It turns out Smith Rowe already has history with Chelsea. The Gunners star once had a trial with the Blues but was deemed not ready to be kept on by the west Londoners – due to his height at the time.
“I grew up in an area that should be more Crystal Palace than anything else, but I was an Arsenal fan,” Smith Rowe said in an interview with the Daily Mail in March 2021. “I trialled at Chelsea and didn’t get in. Something about me not being big enough, I’ve heard!”
The Blues have been in the market for a versatile attacking option for the majority of the summer following the departures of Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic and Kai Havertz. With the injuries to Carney Chukwuemeka and Christopher Nkunku recently, the need for another option is even more prominent.
Mauricio Pochettino has made it perfectly clear that whoever comes in has to fit the club’s ‘profile’. It’s something Chelsea will not settle on. The Blues will not sign for the sake of it.
“It is a little bit unlucky because we need a little bit of help now,” Pochettino said last week. “We are trying to find the right profile. The most important is the profile of the player we need to add to the squad so after it won’t be a problem and they can be compatible. That is why it is not easy but yes, we are trying to do something.”
Fortunately for Chelsea, the form of Raheem Sterling has taken a positive turn. The England international produced a brilliant performance against West Ham United just over a week ago and then on Friday, he scored twice and set up one in the 3-0 win against Luton Town.
“I wasn’t here last season and only I can talk about the day when we arrived,” Pochettino said after the game. “We had a conversation, his commitment in the way he wants to contribute to the team, working really hard with his work ethic and his quality.
“He deserves full credit for his performance, we are very pleased and very happy, he has quality and can provide the team goals and assists and when we don’t have the ball, works hard to recover the ball as soon as possible. I’m so pleased for him because he told me it was a difficult season for him last season. Very pleased when a player is happy, and when an offensive player scores and assists, for us, it is the best feeling.”
