Crystal Palace are willing to enter into a transfer tussle with Fulham for the signature of Emile Smith Rowe from Arsenal.
Having failed to force his way into Mikel Arteta’s team, Smith Rowe is expected to leave Emirate Stadium on a permanent deal this summer. Fulham’s bid worth up to £30m including add-ons was turned down by Arsenal earlier this week.
Though Fulham are expected to return with an improved offer, Palace are believed to be preparing an offer of £35m including bonuses to try to tempt their London rivals into cashing in on the 23-year-old.
Emile Smith Rowe of Arsenal celebrates after scoring (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Palace have made huge fund from the sale of Michael Olise to Bayern Munich while Fulham also secured a good deal when Joao Palhinha left the London club for the former Bundesliga Champion.
Both clubs will be eager to tempt Arsenal into selling one of their best young players. Smith Rowe made three Premier League starts last season and played only 346 minutes having been sidelined with a knee injury at the end of last year.
He is due to depart for Arsenal’s pre-season tour to the United States on Sunday, with Arteta set to decide on the academy graduate’s future. Smith Rowe won the last of his three senior England caps in 2022 after finishing as Arsenal’s top scorer with 10 goals but has since slipped down the pecking order at the Emirates.
Palace also have a longstanding interest in Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah, although the success of Jean-Philippe Mateta at the of last season means signing a new striker has become less of a priority at Selhurst Park.
Palace are also set to decide whether to give the former Fulham defender Ryan Sessegnon a contract after he spent the last few weeks training with them following his departure from Tottenham.
