It's been a relatively quiet transfer window for Arsenal so far this summer, although things are now finally starting to happen.
The biggest saga for the Gunners thus far has been the one surrounding Riccardo Calafiori's incredibly drawn-out move from Bologna, but that finally looks to be coming to an end.
At the same time, the North Londoners look to be progressing in their pursuit of Mikel Merino, and they have reportedly opened talks with Paris Saint-Germain over Fabian Ruiz.
However, it's not all about the incomings, and perhaps the most talked about bit of news among Arsenal fans over the last couple of days has been the potential exit of Emile Smith Rowe.
The Hale End graduate finally looks to be on his way out of the club and for a healthy fee at that, leaving one player with little to no competition and a valuation to match.
The latest on Smith Rowe
According to recent reports, Smith Rowe will likely leave Arsenal in the coming days to join West London outfit Fulham for a fee of around £35m.
The Gunners reportedly turned down a £30m bid last week, but with no clear pathway back into the first team, they found the follow-up offer acceptable, and considering the Englishman will now be the Cottagers' record signing, it's not a bad deal.
However, there has been an understandably glum sentiment about this move among the Gunners faithful due to his rise from the academy to the first team, only for injuries to derail his trajectory. After all, when he first burst onto the scene, the Emirates' favourite song was about him and Bukayo Saka.
In his 115 appearances for the North Londoners, he scored 18 goals and 13 assists, and his departure is going to leave one player practically unchallenged, a player who is now worth considerably more money, but once cost slightly less.
Martin Odegaard's valuation in 2024
The player in question is club captain Martin Odegaard, who cost Arsenal about £30m when he joined the club on a permanent deal from Real Madrid in the summer of 2021.
Ironically, one of the main concerns from some fans at the time was that in signing the Norwegian international, whom talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed a "pure talent", the club would put Smith Rowe's development in jeopardy and, well, three years later, the former Madrid ace is the club captain and the Englishman is set to leave.
Not only that, but the Drammen-born superstar is now worth magnitudes more, with the CIES Football Observatory valuing him up to a staggering €128m, which converts to about £108m, or around £73m more than the Hale End star.
This price tag is undeniably lofty, but based on the last few years of brilliant performances and excellent leadership, it would be hard to call it undeserved.
For example, in 153 appearances for the Gunners, the 25-year-old dynamo has scored 34 goals and provided 38 assists, meaning he has averaged a goal involvement every 2.77 games.
Appearances
20
40
45
48
Goals
2
7
15
11
Assists
2
5
7
11
Goal Involvements per Match
0.20
0.30
0.48
0.45
Moreover, given his age and how he has improved year-on-year at the Emirates, there is no reason not to think that his impressive development will stop anytime soon, which is an exciting prospect.
Ultimately, the idea of Smith Rowe playing for another club next season is a genuinely sad one for many Arsenal fans due to his connection with the club. Still, they can send him their well-wishes, safe in the knowledge that, in Odegaard, they already have a world-class attacking midfielder ready to lead them to eventual glory.
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