The former Gunners and England forward reckons boss Mikel Arteta has made a smart signing by bringing in Chelsea ace Raheem Sterling on deadline day. But as they try to finally wrestle the Premier league title away from Manchester City, the Sky Sports commentator conceded he wished his old club hadn’t needed to sell Eddie Nketiah and Emile Smith Rowe. Striker Nketiah, 25, joined Crystal Palace for a reported £25m while midfielder Smith Rowe, 24, also moved across London to Fulham for around £27m.

Smith said: “Arsenal have generated good money for the academy boys. Nketiah and Smith Rowe left for good sums, while [Reiss] Nelson went out on loan. That gave them an opportunity to raise some much-needed funds because of the new financial rules that the clubs have to adhere to.“There is probably a little bit of sadness about the departures of Nketiah and Smith Rowe. There always is when you sell your academy boys, but it’s part of the game now. They were sellable assets that teams wanted, and you have to balance the books.”

One of Smith’s main concerns for the season ahead is their lack of depth up front. In an interview with Casino aps, he admitted: “I do think the Gunners are a bit light through the middle in the striker position. “Gabriel Jesus keeps on picking up injuries – he’s out at the moment – and we don’t know how close he is to fitness.

“It’s difficult to rely on him. If he is injured, then you’ve just got to have what you have, which isn’t ideal. In an ideal world, Arteta would have brought somebody in, but the striker he wanted wasn’t available. That is the one part of the Arsenal team where you worry about depth. I have my fingers crossed that [Kai] Havertz doesn’t get injured.”