Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta is set to give home-grown starlet Emile Smith Rowe a run in the first team next season, according to journalist Charles Watts [via TEAMtalk].

While it appeared as if Smith Rowe would leave the Emirates Stadium just a few weeks ago, Arteta will give him a chance to shine in the senior team in the 2023/24 Premier League season.

Should Smith Rowe have a role to play for Arsenal next season, he will play either as a winger or as a central midfielder – he has occupied both of these roles in the past.

What did Charles Watts say regarding Mikel Arteta’s position on Emile Smith Rowe?

On Emile Smith Rowe’s first team chances and future, Watts said: “Mikel Arteta has told him that he wants him to stay. He’s certainly not on the Arsenal scrapheap. I think going into the summer, I thought there was a good chance he could probably go. But, by all accounts, they want him to stay and are going to give him an opportunity, which I’m really happy with.

“We all kind of forget how good Emile Smith Rowe is and how good he was when he burst onto the scene. Injuries have obviously hampered him a lot but he’s got so much to give,” said Watts. “He’s such a good player. He’s so smart, he’s technically excellent, he can finish. And he’s got everything you need to be successful in this Arsenal team.

“I think one of the big errors that Arteta made last season was the way he rotated his squad. There were a lot of opportunities, especially in the second half of last season, when Smith Rowe was fit.

“He had the opportunities to get him some minutes and start putting pressure on those in front of him in the first team. But he just didn’t do it.”

Does Emile Smith Rowe deserve another chance for Arsenal?

Smith Rowe is an extremely talented young footballer – it can be argued that, if his injury record were less concerning, the decision to give him a run in the first team next season would be much more cut-and-dry.

Recently, Smith Rowe has been able to showcase the extent of his talents, as he played a pivotal role in England U21s Euros-winning campaign.