West Ham one of several Premier League clubs interested in Arsenal midfielder

Arsenal suffered a disappointing defeat against French side Lens in their second Champions League group stage game on Tuesday evening. 

The Gunners, who had won their campaign opener against PSV Eindhoven 4-0, went ahead in France through Gabriel Jesus, but the hosts drew level before Bukayo Saka was forced off injured.

After the break, Lens took the lead and last season’s Ligue 1 runners-up held on to record a famous victory and prevent Mikel Arteta’s side from making it two wins from two games.

Domestically the Gunners have started the season in fine form, winning five of their seven Premier League games and remaining unbeaten to sit third in the table.

One of their midfielders is facing an uncertain future, though, and now a London rival has emerged as a leading candidate to sign him.

As reported by Football Insider, Emile Smith Rowe will attract significant interest from Premier League clubs if he is allowed to leave The Emirates in January.

Smith Rowe has attracted interest from Premier League clubs including West Ham United

The England international has fallen down the pecking order over the past 18 months and has been linked with a move away, with both Chelsea and the Hammers said to have shown an interest over the summer.

Smith Rowe, 23, is a product of Arsenal’s youth academy and has made 102 appearances for the club across all competitions.

The Englishman has scored 18 goals and provided 11 assists, but it looks increasingly likely that he will leave North London before the expiry of his current contract in 2026.

So far this season, Smith Rowe has made six appearances, including two in the Premier League, but he is yet to score or register an assist.

It is also claimed that both the player and club could agree that it is best for Smith Rowe to leave Arsenal in the coming months, with the Gunners said to value him at around £35-40 million.