West Ham reignite interest in Arsenal star as Paqueta exit looms

Tom Weber

• Updated: 8 Mar 2024 16:52 GMT
• 4 min read

West Ham look set to reignite their interest in Emile Smith Rowe ahead of the summer transfer window.

The Hammers are long-time admirers of the Hale End product and their year-long pursuit may finally end in success in the near future. After trying and failing to sign the 23-year-old last year, West Ham were yet again linked with Smith Rowe in January.

However, as exclusively reported by FootballTransfers at the time, the local boy had no intention of departing his club in the midst of a title challenge. Smith Rowe stayed on board, but contrary to what he had hoped, his loyalty has thus far not been rewarded with an increase in minutes.

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Since being sidelined for a few weeks with a knee injury in late 2023, Smith Rowe has only made six appearances, starting just once. All told, the homegrown has played a measly 228 minutes of football this term, which is nowhere near enough for a player who previously looked to be on the verge of becoming an established England international.

West Ham's Paqueta replacement

According to CaughtOffside, West Ham could yet again attempt to free Smith Rowe from his Arsenal misery in the summer. It is entirely unsurprising that they are looking at him given that star man Lucas Paqueta continues to be linked with Man City.

Pep Guardiola's side had already attempted to land the Brazilian last summer, but allegations of illicit gambling thwarted the move. Nevertheless, City are still keen and may try to reignite the deal in the upcoming window.

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The potential departure of Paqueta makes the signing of another attacking midfielder imperative. West Ham's forward line is quite thin and injuries have forced David Moyes to experiment this term, with Paqueta often playing as a left winger. Smith Rowe's versatility of being able to play centrally and out wide makes him an ideal replacement.

Additionally, FootballTransfers has exclusively revealed that West Ham have initiated contact with Bournemouth over Dominic Solanke. The prolific striker could follow Smith Rowe to the London Stadium in the summer.