da wazamba： Why did the Gunners spend a huge chunk of their summer transfer budget on a Chelsea flop when they already have a homegrown hero in the same role?

da pinup bet： When Aston Villa tried to sign Emile Smith Rowe two years ago, Arsenal laughed off the £25 million ($30m) bid – and it was easy to understand why. The Gunners had absolutely no intention of selling one of the most exciting players to come out of their academy in years – and certainly not for such a derisory fee.

The club had big plans for the versatile attacking midfielder, as they almost immediately underlined by giving him a new contract – and the No.10 jersey that had been vacated by Mesut Ozil earlier in the year.

It may have been just a shirt change but it felt like a very symbolic moment, a clear signal of a shift in the club's player recruitment policy, moving away from the costly obsession with star names that had marred the final years of Ivan Gazidis' tenure as chief executive towards a more sensible approach to squad-building that focused on young talent.

GettyHale End history-maker

Smith Rowe responded to the show of faith in sensational fashion, becoming the first Hale End graduate to hit double figures in a single season (10 goals) since Cesc Fabregas.

His performances were so impressive that he was even called into the England squad, and helped himself to a first international goal at senior level, albeit in a rout of San Marino.

It seemed as if a superstar had been born. But if Villa returned with a reasonable bid for Smith Rowe's services now, there's a very strong chance that Arsenal would give it serious consideration.

So, what's gone wrong? Why is there suddenly doubt surrounding the future of a player that looked like the future of the club?

AdvertisementGettyHomegrown heroes

The 2021-22 season ended in bitter disappointment for Arsenal, with fierce rivals Tottenham pipping them to fourth place in the Premier League – and the Champions League spot that comes with it.

However, Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka offered genuine reason for optimism. Here were a pair of homegrown heroes who had proven that they had the talent and the temperament to shine at the very highest level.

Unfortunately, while Saka took his game to a whole other level last season, establishing himself as one of the most exciting – and effective – wingers in world football, Smith Rowe regressed.

GettyInjury issues

A lengthy spell on the sidelines certainly didn't help – but the expectation was that when Smith Rowe returned from the surgery undertaken to resolve a long-standing groin problem, he would be completely pain-free for the first time in years. And he was.

The problem was, though, that when he returned midway through the campaign, Arsenal had a settled side that was mounting a surprise title tilt. And there was no obvious route into the starting XI for Smith Rowe.

Although capable of playing in a variety of attacking positions, Gabriel Martinelli and Saka were running riot out wide, captain Martin Odegaard was proving himself a top-quality No.10, while Granit Xhaka was revelling in a more advanced, box-to-box role in midfield.

However, it was staggering just how little game time Smith Rowe was seeing.

Getty'It's not about what you've done a year ago'

He made his return from injury in an FA Cup win at Oxford on January 9 and was given another late cameo in the Premier League six days later, against Spurs.

However, Smith Rowe didn't set foot on the field again until March.

He ended the season having played just 195 minutes in all competitions. Even accounting for the injury, it was a paltry and puzzling figure, because even when changes were made, the desperately underwhelming summer signing Fabio Vieira often got on ahead of him.

Umpteen opportunities to give Smith Rowe a run-out came and went. He could have been brought on to give someone in an overstretched squad a valuable rest when Arsenal were cruising – but he remained on the bench.

It was the same story when the Gunners were in dire need of goals during the title run-in. Some of the regulars were visibly running on empty and yet Arteta snubbed Smith Rowe in favour of other attacking options.

When pressed on the issue, Arteta's response was telling.

"In football, it's not about what you've done a year or a month ago," the Spaniard explained. "It's about what you do now, what you did yesterday and what you're going to do tomorrow."