Arsenal offer Smith Rowe the vacant number 10 shirt in a desperate bid to keep him

Gunners could most likely offer the number 10 to their young Emile Smith Rowe, who is still locked in contract talks with Arsenal. The promising 20-year-old Englishman is considered a top prospect and his recent winning goal at Chelsea redoubled the club’s efforts to tie the young talent to a long-term contract.

As a sweetener to the deal, club chiefs are prepared to hand the 20-year-old Mesut Ozil's old number in a bid to convince him to stay at the Emirates. The youngster is believed to already be keen on staying in north London but occupying such a prestigious kit would only further persuade him that his long-term future lies with his boyhood club.

Three days later, the 20-year-old found the net again, his early strike at Stamford Bridge proving decisive as Arsenal battled their way to three points against Chelsea. The goal was no beauty, but the fact that it came as a result of a strong press from the Gunners made it a real team goal.

Smith Rowe speeds things up with the ball at his feet but he also leads their pressing without it. It’s something boss Mikel Arteta has been working on intensely with his squad.

These performances have become a regular sight since he broke into the side for the 3-1 win over the same opponents on Boxing Day. And, for all Arsenal's recent struggles, only Manchester City and Manchester United have taken more points than them in the Premier League since then. Arsenal must show that same purpose as they try to tie him down to a new contract. Arteta has made no secret of the fact his squad needs work this summer. But Smith Rowe is someone to build around.

To show Smith Rowe just how highly he rates him, Arteta is prepared to potentially displease Alexandre Lacazette, who would love to don the 10, the shirt he’d made his own in his final years at Olympique Lyonnais, the team Arsenal signed him from. It’s a move that could mark the creation of a new Arsenal side, one that could challenge for the Premier League crown in the coming years.