Club Officially Signs Former Arsenal Midfielder After Release
Wigan Athletic have verified the signing of midfielder Matt Smith, whose contract with Arsenal has expired.
Matt Smith, a young midfielder, was among the players released by Arsenal at the end of June, with the Gunners affirming his contract would not be renewed.
However, it didn’t take long for the 22-year-old to find a new club, as Wigan Athletic announced on Saturday that they had signed the Arsenal academy graduate.
Smith has signed a three-year contract with Wigan after sixteen years with Arsenal.
Smith spent the 2022-23 season playing for the Arsenal u21s, attempting to earn a promotion to the first team under Mikel Arteta.
With Arsenal performing so well and challenging for the Premier League title, and having exited all other competitions relatively early, opportunities to give debuts were limited.
Prior to this, Smith had loan stints with Swindon Town, Charlton Athletic, and Doncaster Rovers. He now officially joins Wigan Athletic.
Last season, Wigan had two Arsenal players on loan, but Miguel Azeez and Omar Rekik saw limited action due to injury and suspension.
When he was available and on the field, Rekik appeared to excel, but it was ultimately insufficient to prevent Wigan’s relegation.
As a consequence, Smith will join a Wigan team that is currently in League One and aims to return to the Championship next season.
“I was at Arsenal for 16 years, and I developed there as a person and a player, so I can’t thank them enough,”Smith stated following the move’s confirmation.
“I was fortunate to be around the first team, so along with that and my loan moves, I’ve taken a lot from it and now I’m ready to come here, and push on.
“I’m really excited. We’ve got the trip (to Hungary) coming up on Sunday and I feel like it’s a great opportunity to get to know everyone, and I’m really looking forward to getting stuck into it.”
Club Officially Signs Former Arsenal Midfielder After Release
