Arsenal will demand upwards of £60m for West Ham transfer target Emile Smith Rowe, according to TEAMtalk.

It is believed that the Gunners rate the midfielder as highly as Mason Mount, who left Chelsea to join Manchester United for a similar amount last summer.

Smith Rowe was loosely linked with the Hammers back in August and there has been constant speculation about the 23-year-old’s future in recent weeks.

The midfielder has struggled for minutes at the Emirates, with his start against Brentford at the end of September being the first time he had been named in the first eleven since May 2022; more than 16 months ago.

TEAMtalk say that, if Smith Rowe’s game time doesn’t improve between now and the New Year, he could be forced into leaving Arsenal.

Do West Ham need a player like Smith Rowe?

The England international’s favoured position is as a no.10, which is not really an area that the Irons need to strengthen due to the presence of Lucas Paqueta and James Ward-Prowse.

Smith Rowe is also comfortable playing out on the left wing, and with neither Said Benrahma nor Pablo Fornals having impressed there this season, manager David Moyes may be considering an upgrade.

Smith Rowe’s price tag could stop any move in its tracks

While West Ham do still have some money left over from the sale of Declan Rice to Arsenal, it is hard to see them paying out what could be a club-record fee on Smith Rowe.

The midfielder is undoubtedly very talented but, he does suffer with injury problems, and the Hammers have been burned a number of times over the years with players who have struggled to stay fit. They may, therefore, only consider Smith Rowe if his valuation drops significantly.

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