Arsenal midfielder ‘offered’ to Euro giants on ‘dry loan’ after ‘rejected’ bid for £25m Sunderland star

According to reports, Arsenal playmaker Emile Smith Rowe has been ‘offered’ to Lazio, who recently had a bid rejected for Sunderland’s Jack Clarke.

Smith Rowe has struggled for game time since the start of the 2022/23 season.

He has had his fair share of injuries but even when fully fit, he tends to sit on the bench and is usually brought on with little time left or not at all.

The 23-year-old’s struggles are difficult to see for Arsenal fans, who love the Hale End graduate.

There has been some talk about a January transfer and London rivals West Ham recently had a loan approach rejected by Mikel Arteta’s side.

Despite his lack of game time, Arteta has no plans to let Smith Rowe depart, whether that is on loan or permanently.

This has given Gunners supporters hope that the England international – who came through the youth academy alongside Bukayo Saka and Eddie Nketiah – still has a big future at the Emirates.

However, it has been reported in Italy that Smith Rowe has been ‘offered’ to Serie A side Lazio.

This is according to La Lazio Siamo Noi (via Sport Witness), who says Smith Rowe has been ‘offered’ via some intermediaries.

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The report says the 23-year-old is having a ‘complicated season’ for Arsenal and a ‘dry loan’ has been mooted, with Arteta eager for no buy option to be included.

Arteta might not be using Smith Rowe now but he plans to in the future, with it claimed that the Spanish manager is ‘betting heavily’ on the player becoming a crucial player, just as he was during Arteta’s early days in charge at the Emirates.

Lazio, however, are not keen, with the intermediaries not finding ‘great support’ from Rome.

The Serie A outfit would rather sign an out-and-out winger and are keen on Sunderland youngster Clarke, it is added.

They saw a recent bid rejected by the Championship side, who would consider a summer sale in the region of €30million (£25.5million) if they do not get promoted to the Premier League.

Clarke has been outstanding this season and if the Black Cats earn promotion, it will be down to his form.

A January transfer is deemed pretty unlikely, though. If Sunderland want £25m in the summer, they will probably want double to sell mid-season. As touched on, if he goes, so do their promotion hopes.

Several Premier League clubs have been linked with Clarke – who has 12 goals and three assists in 29 league appearances in 2023/24 – with West Ham eyeing up a move earlier this month.

Lazio’s rejected bid was worth €16m (£13.6m), according to Fabrizio Romano.

Romano wrote on X on Sunday: ‘Understand Sunderland consider Jack Clarke not for sale in the January transfer window. Formal proposal from Italy worth €16m package has been rejected yesterday.

‘Price in the summer likely to be around €30m… but SAFC plan to keep Clarke if they get promoted.’

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