Arsenal reject bid for Emile Smith Rowe
Arsenal have rejected an opening offer for their young midfielder Emile Smith Rowe from Aston Villa, according to David Ornstein.
The fee is understood to be around £25m, but clearly Arsenal don’t have any plans of offloading their talented playmaker.
The 20-year-old was a regular fixture in the squad after making his breakthrough in a 3-1 win against London rivals Chelsea on Boxing Day last season.
The England under 21 international finished the season with an impressive four goals and seven assists. His prominence led to Arsenal opening talks with the player’s camp regarding a new deal.
Smith-Rowe’s current deal only runs up until the summer of 2023. Even though it has been months since the talks started, Arsenal and Smith-Rowe have not yet reached an agreement.
However, reports have already suggested that there is confidence at London Colney that a contract extension until 2026 can be wrapped up imminently.
Aston Villa, who finished 11th in the Premier League, have already spent huge bucks on players since getting promoted to the Premier League.
The Claret and Blues have already beaten Arsenal to the signature of sort after midfielder Emi Buendia.
In Smith Rowe’s case, it is still unclear whether they come back with an improved bid.
But it is an indication of the ambition of the club’s owners, a case which cannot be compared to the owners of Arsenal, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment.
With a meagre bid of around £25m, Arsenal fans can come up with their very own: ‘What are they smoking at Villa Park?’
Yash Bisht
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