Chelsea have now made move to sign £57,000-a-week man Wayne Rooney once called a ‘fantastic’ player

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Chelsea have now made a move to sign Emile Smith Rowe from Arsenal – a player Wayne Rooney thinks very highly of.

That is according to The Times.

So, what has Wayne Rooney said about Chelsea target Emile Smith Rowe? Let’s take a look…

What’s the story?

Well – according to The Times – Chelsea have made an approach for the England international, and Arsenal are surprisingly willing to sell.

It comes after respected journalist Simon Phillips claimed on Substack that Chelsea are considering Smith Rowe as a late option.

Mauricio Pochettino is looking for a versatile forward who can play anywhere across the frontline, and the Arsenal No.10 ticks that box.

If a deal can be struck between the Blues and the Gunners, it would seemingly come with the approval of Rooney – who is a huge fan of Smith Rowe.

Speaking on Monday Night Football on Sky Sports (04/04/22 at 7:50 pm), the 37-year-old called the Hale End graduate a “fantastic” footballer who has a very bright future.

Rooney said: “I think he’s a fantastic young player. He’s actually a player, when I first went in as manager of Derby County, who I enquired about and tried to bring in on loan.

“It didn’t get close because a week later he was playing in Arsenal’s first-team. I think he can take the ball, both feet. Score goals. Create goals. I like him and he has a bright future.

“He’s quite similar to Adam Lallana in how he runs with the ball, off both feet. He makes runs in behind to get on the end of passes. He’s hard to pick up. I really like him.”

Smith Rowe to Chelsea would be a major shock

If The Times are accurate with their story – and Arsenal really are willing to sell Smith Rowe to Chelsea – it would be one of the most surprising moves of the entire summer.

The Londoner is an Arsenal fan through and through, posing as the club’s poster boy alongside Bukayo Saka – Mikel Arteta even handed him the No.10 shirt as a show of faith.

However, stranger things have happened – including Mason Mount swapping Stamford Bridge for Old Trafford this summer, something Chelsea fans would not have dreamed of a few years ago.

The situation with Smith Rowe is quite similar to Mount’s downfall at Chelsea, and if Pochettino gets his way, the £57,000-a-week Arsenal wonderkid will be moving to west London before Friday’s transfer deadline.