Graeme Souness thinks Emile Smith Rowe is just as good as Kai Havertz and wonders why Arsenal spent £60 million on the German player. While Havertz has been playing regularly, Smith Rowe, who came through the academy, hasn't had as many chances.
This has led to rumours of him leaving, but Souness is sure that given the chance, the Englishman could be as effective as Havertz.
Souness told talkSPORT: "I like Smith Rowe. As a midfield player running into the box, clever passes, everything seems to be done when he is sprinting which I like. Goal threat. Then you go spend £60m, Arteta.
"So the point I want to make is that £60m, I think is a fair criticism. You know what I am on about, building a football team, you try to strengthen the weakest part of your team."
"I think for most people, Arsenal needed another striker with [Gabriel] Jesus. You go and take Kai Havertz from Chelsea for big money when really you’ve got a homegrown player that is every bit as good as him so that £60m should have been maybe directed towards a striker and that might cost them, a different kind of striker."
This season Havertz scored 5 goals and made 1 assist in 29 appearances for the Gunners. As for Smith Rowe, he made 1 assist in 12 appearances for the club. However, most of the time the player appeared as a substitute and didn't spend much time on the football field.
