Fulham has signed England midfielder Emile Smith Rowe from Premier League rival Arsenal on a five-year contract, it was announced on Friday.
No fee was mentioned for the deal, which will keep Smith Rowe at Craven Cottage until the summer of 2029, with a club option to extend by a further 12 months, was disclosed.
But the BBC estimated the total value of Smith Roweâs move from north to southwest London could be worth £27 million ($35 million, 32 million euros), plus £7 million in add-ons, with a total of £34 million representing a Fulham transfer record.
The 24-year-old joined Arsenalâs academy, aged just 10 and rose through the ranks to make 115 senior appearances for the Gunners in all competitions.
But he found game time hard to come by last season as Arsenal finished runner-up to Premier League champion Manchester City, with Smith Rowe pleased to have made the move to Fulham.
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âIâm finally here, so Iâm really happy for me and my family — itâs a good moment,â he told FFCtv.
âIâm really excited, I just wanted to get here as quickly as possible so I could get going with my teammates.â
Fulham finished 13th in the 20-strong Premier League last season but Smith Rowe added: âListening to the project, speaking to the manager (Marco Silva) and seeing what players we have here already, I think itâs an exciting project for me and definitely the perfect step for my career going forward.â
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta praised Smith Roweâs attitude, telling the Gunnersâ website: âIâm sad that Emile is leaving us but excited for him to take this new opportunity at this stage of his career when he needs to be starting matches and playing regularly.â
Source Agencies