The £34m transfer gamble who could take Fulham to the next level this season

Fulham have broken their transfer record for Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe, signing him for an initial £27m with the potential of £7m in add-ons, 3 Added Minutes have been told. Smith Rowe's signing could be game-changing for Fulham, and sources say the add-ons are based on Cup and European success for the Cottagers. There is work to be done if they’re going to have to pay the extra £7m.

Smith Rowe is an academy graduate and a popular figure among supporters but has dropped down the pecking order at Arsenal behind Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, and Bukayo Saka. After a bright start to his Gunners career, a series of injuries hampered his ability to realise his great potential at the Emirates Stadium.

Speaking to people who saw him come up, they say he’s an absolute bargain even for that price, as he was ahead of Saka when coming up. “For me, we should have kept him, and I say so because he is one of the best players to have come from our academy. I get that injuries have affected him, but he’s one of the players who started to get things going when Mikel came in. So really, we are sad to see him go, but our loss is their gain,” Arsenal journalist Layth Yousif told 3 Added Minutes.

He is the kind of signing Marco Silva will love because if he can stay fit, he has all the attributes to be the star man of this Fulham team, something they’ve not had since Aleksandar Mitrovic left. He has a goal threat who can run at defenders, and provide the all important final product once the back line is breached.

3 Added Minutes understands that during his early development at Arsenal, even the great Mesut Ozil tipped him to go on and become an even better version of himself. Just imagine if he could go on to produce the same numbers of assists that made Ozil the best number ten in the world - it’s a thrilling prospect for Fulham fans to savour after signing their top target.

The career of a footballer has so many ups and downs, but moving to Fulham could be the jolt and awakening call that he needs. Seeing the likes of Saka overtake him and become key players for England will have no doubt hurt him but can, most importantly, serve as inspiration to drive him to the next level.

At Fulham, he will get the one thing all ambitious players crave: playing time. It’s now up to him to use it to his benefit and get the best out of himself, which will be an absolute benefit to his club too.

This transfer has the potential to go down as one of the best for both the club and the player, as he knows that a good two years being Fulham’s star man could get him to a top club in Europe, as evidenced by Joao Palhinha’s big move to Bayern Munich earlier this summer. The Cottagers will also benefit from having a player that could finally take them from being a lower mid-table club to one that could push for Europe in the coming season.

A win-win situation for everyone, including Fulham fans who are rightly delighted that they’ve signed one of the underrated gems of the Premier League.