Gabriel Magalhaes says he really misses ‘exceptional’ player who Mikel Arteta sold at Arsenal in 2024
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Gabriel Magalhaes is now one of Arsenal’s longest-serving players.
The Brazilian joined the club in 2020 and is about to complete his sixth season on the red side of North London.
During that period, Gabriel has seen enormous changes at Arsenal, both in terms of the club’s ambitions and the players inside the dressing room.
A number of important figures have left over the years as Mikel Arteta reshaped the squad. One of those players was Emile Smith Rowe.
Alex Iwobi and Emile Smith Rowe LOVE Arsenal, if you could sign one of them now, who would it be?
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Gabriel Magalhaes says he misses his ‘great friend’ Emile Smith Rowe
Smith Rowe was one of the most loved players at Arsenal during his time at the club.
The academy graduate played a huge role in helping Arteta rebuild the team during difficult moments earlier in the project.
At his best, the Englishman was electric – driving forward with the ball, scoring goals and bringing energy to Arsenal’s attack.
Arteta regularly described Smith Rowe as an ‘exceptional’ talent, and there was once huge belief that he would become one of the faces of the club for years to come.
Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
However, injuries and inconsistency eventually saw him fall down the pecking order, and that led to Arsenal making the difficult decision to sell Smith Rowe to Fulham in 2024.
Even though he is no longer at the club, it is clear he is still hugely missed inside the dressing room. During a Q&A on The Residency App, Gabriel Magalhaes was asked directly whether he misses Smith Rowe.
The Arsenal defender replied: “Yes, and a great friend!”
That short response says a lot about how highly Smith Rowe was regarded by his teammates.
When did you realise that Emile Smith Rowe didn’t have a future at Arsenal?
Credit: Getty Images/Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC
How has Emile Smith Rowe fared since joining Fulham?
There was hope that leaving Arsenal would allow Smith Rowe to finally rediscover his best form with regular football.
Unfortunately, things have not really gone to plan for him at Premier League rivals Fulham so far.
The midfielder has managed just 11 goals and three assists in 80 appearances since leaving Arsenal for the Cottagers.
For a player with his level of talent, those numbers are nowhere near good enough.
Arteta always believed Smith Rowe had exceptional ability, but the Arsenal manager’s decision to move on from him now looks justified based on how things have unfolded.
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