Fulham announce signing of Emile Smith Rowe for club record fee

Fulham officially announced the signing Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith Rowe for an initial fee of £27 million.

The south London outfit have not officially disclosed the England international’s full fee, although it is understood the deal could rise to £34m with add-ons, making it a club record fee for the Cottagers.

Smith Rowe, who joined the Gunners aged 10, made his debut for the club aged 18 and has since played 80 games, scoring 12 goals.

He suffered a knee injury last October and was sidelined for six weeks, playing just 346 minutes in the Premier League as Arsenal narrowly lost the league title to Manchester City.

The 24-year-old has three seniors England caps, the last of which came in March 2022, and was part of the team that won the UEFA Under-21 European Championship last summer.

“I’m finally here so I’m really happy for myself and my family – it’s a good moment,” Smith Rowe told Fulham’s official TV channel.

““I’m really excited, I just wanted to get here as quickly as possible so I can move forward with my teammates.

“Listening to the project, talking to the coach and seeing what players we already have here, I think it’s an exciting project for me and definitely the perfect step for the future of my career.”

Fulham vice-chairman Tony Khan added that he was “thrilled to announce the arrival of Emile Smith Rowe”.

“We are very excited to sign such a talented young player and look forward to Emile joining the team in Portugal as we continue to prepare for the new season ahead.”

Smith Rowe becomes Fulham’s second high-profile signing of the summer after the club agreed a deal to bring back the former Spurs defender Ryan Sessegnon. The Cottagers are also interested in Manchester United’s Scott McTominay, with reports suggesting they have made a £20m bid for the Scot given that midfielder João Palhinha has left for Bayern Munchen in a £45 million deal.