As per a report from the Daily Mail, Aston Villa are putting together a third bid for Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith-Rowe.
The Englishman stormed into the Gunners first-team with some impressive displays in the second half of last season. The 20-year-old played a crucial role in turning the campaign around by being the link between midfield and attack.
According to the report, though the Villains have had two offers rejected, they are determined to land Smith-Rowe as they continue their summer recruitment drive. After securing the transfer of Emiliano Buendia, the Birmingham club are keen on the youngster.
It further states that Villa are going to come back with another offer. As for the north Londoners, they are trying to tie down their young star to a new contract and ward off any interested clubs.
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Based on how well he played last season, Smith-Rowe has a lot more to offer and it should be at the Emirates Stadium. If by some chance, the Gunners were to sell the Englishman to another Premier League club, it would not reflect well on them.
The maximum that Villa have offered so far is £30million which is far below than what the player is worth. For a sale to happen, they will have to put in a bigger bid to get the north Londoners interested.
The one worrying aspect is that Smith-Rowe has not yet put pen to paper on a new contract. Until that happens, these links will keep coming up as teams feel that they have a chance of taking the midfielder away from the Emirates.
After finishing eighth in the league, the Gunners should look to improve their team and that includes keeping hold of young stars. With a player who can reach greater heights, it is necessary for the future of the club that the 20-year-old stays.
This summer is a crucial one for Arsenal as they look to rebuild their squad and challenge the teams ahead of them. Smith-Rowe will have a huge role to play in that and selling him would be a potentially catastrophic decision.
