Emile Smith Rowe reveals two ex-Arsenal stars messaged him to push transfer move
Emile Smith Rowe quit Arsenal in a club-record £34m move to Fulham in the summer and was convinced to make the move across the capital by a pair of former teammates
by Daniel Orme · The MirrorEx-Arsenal stars Bernd Leno and Alex Iwobi were crucial to Emile Smith Rowe’s move to Fulham this summer.
The Gunners academy graduate joined the Premier League side in a record £34m move to Craven Cottage. And the midfielder has enjoyed a bright start to life across the capital.
Smith Rowe, 24, has scored twice and notched an assist across his seven opening Premier League appearances for Fulham. The playmaker is also taking to the pitch alongside a host of former Arsenal teammates.
Alex Iwobi and Bernd Leno were already at the club, while Reiss Nelson also followed him to Craven Cottage in the summer. And it appears the former pair were key in convincing Smith Rowe to quit his boyhood club.
Speaking to The Telegraph, he revealed that both Iwobi and Leno messaged him ahead of his move. He added: “But obviously I could not say anything at the time,” before apologising to his new teammates for “ghosting” them.
Smith Rowe’s new Fulham teammate Nelson also shared a similar assessment by claiming that Iwobi’s presence at Craven Cottage was also a decisive factor between his move. Speaking to the Whites’ official website, he said: “Of course, I think it’s one of those things.
“Alex [Iwobi] started the trend I feel like. A lot of the time, when Fulham was actually playing I used to watch because of Alex as well so it was nice to see familiar faces. So it’s just good to see these people here.”
While the clutch of former Arsenal players at Fulham have now been reunited, the moves haven’t gone down particularly well in north London. Current star Bukayo Saka recently admitted he was sad to see his former teammates leave.
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"Yeah, I’m not going to lie, I’ve missed them a bit you know," Saka told the Men in Blazers podcast. "Since I came into the first team they were kind of like my big brothers with the way they welcome me and stuff like that.
"So yeah, it wasn’t easy to see them all go, but at the same time, I’m really happy for them because they’re three top, top players with so much quality and I’m sure they’re going to shine in the Premier League this year."
Smith Rowe, Leno, Iwobi and Nelson will all hope to be in action this weekend as Fulham take on Aston Villa at Craven Cottage. The quartet are set to be reunited with their former club in December as Arsenal travel across London.
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