If Arsenal thought Aston Villa were just testing the waters with regards Emile Smith Rowe, they’re now aware that the West Midlands club are serious about prising away their homegrown star following a second bid of £30million.
The Villans have made the England Under-21 international one of their chief transfer targets as they seek to relieve the creative burden on the shoulders of talisman Jack Grealish.
Argentina international Emi Buendia has already arrived from Norwich City in a £35million deal to help do that, but boss Dean Smith wants more and the club’s ambitious, billionaire owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens are ready to back him and sporting director Johan Lange.
A move for Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse is also been looked at, but Villa are actively trailing Smith Rowe, having been given encouragement to continue pursuing his signature.
That encouragement hasn’t come from the Gunners themselves, who have rejected their second offer for the 20-year-old Hale End product.
On their end, Arsenal have little intention of parting with the young midfielder, who enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2020-21; he scored four goals in 33 games for Mikel Arteta’s side, but impressed throughout and was a key contributor in a number of their most impressive displays during an inconsistent campaign.
Smith Rowe is entering the final two years of his contract at the Emirates Stadium and negotiations over a new deal have progressed little in the past six months.
It’s understood Smith Rowe wants a more lucrative contract than has been offered, more befitting his growing role in the first team.
Arsenal still hope to get a long-term contract sorted, but there remains some distance between the two parties over what that contract should look like.
As such, all signs point towards his representatives wanting it known that he has other options, something which Villa are looking to take advantage of, at a time when Grealish’s own future is in question.
The England international is a target for Manchester City, but Villa’s board hope to persuade him to remain, sign a new contract and lead their assault on the European places in 2021-22; showing ambition with new arrivals will help in that regard, as they aren’t going to go from 11th to challenging for the top six without improvements.
As Mirror Football's James Nursey revealed last week, Grealish will wait until after his involvement at Euro 2020 is over before deciding his future.
Arsenal would be loathe to sell Smith Rowe to a side who finished three spots below them in the Premier League table last term - especially having also lost out on Buendia to the Villans.
But until the club's new head of football operations Richard Garlick, believe to be leading the contract negotiations, can find an agreement and tie him down to a new deal, they can expect more bids to be forthcoming from Villa Park.
