Emile Smith Rowe officially broke Fulham’s most expensive transfer after leaving another English Premier League club, Arsenal on Friday.
Based on a report by The Athletic, the transfer of the 24-year-old English midfielder was worth a total of 34 million pounds or equivalent to Rp704 billion, making him the most expensive player in Fulham’s history.
“The club is delighted to confirm the transfer of Emile Smith Rowe from Arsenal for an undisclosed fee,” Fulham said on their official website.
Smith Rowe was also confirmed to have signed a five-year contract that will keep him at Craven Cottage until the summer of 2029, with an option to extend for one year.
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In an interview after the transfer was completed, Smith Rowe admitted that he was very interested in the project owned by the club and coach Marco Silva.
“I’ve finally arrived here, so I’m very happy for myself and my family,” said Smith Rowe.
“Listening to the project, talking to the coach and seeing the players here, I feel this is an interesting project for me and progress for my career,” he continued.
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Rarely getting regular playing time in recent seasons is considered the reason Smith Rowe left Arsenal, where he had defended for 14 years.
Emile Smith Rowe is a graduate of Arsenal’s academy before breaking into the first team in 2018. Since then, he has made 115 appearances and scored 18 goals in all competitions. He was also loaned by Arsenal to RB Leipzig (2019) and Huddersfield Town (2020).
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta thanked the player for his hard work and commitment while playing under his guidance.
“He came into the first team and became an important player in a difficult period for us. ” He made a strong impression with his performances and made the fans proud,” Arteta said.
“I’m sad that Emile has to leave us but I’m glad he’s taken a new opportunity at this stage of his career when he needs regular game time,” Arteta added.
