Arsenal reject £30m Emile Smith Rowe bid from Aston Villa

If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again. Unless you’re Aston Villa that is, in which case every bid lodged for Emile Smith Rowe is a complete waste of time especially if you’re offering Arsenal the equivalent of pocket change.

This is now the second attempt Dean Smith’s side have made to lure Emile Smith Rowe to Villa Park, the first being laughed off at around £25m. Unsurprisingly, Arsenal have absolutely zero intention of selling their Hale End star – an encouraging stance that shows something is developing in north London worth being positive about.

Scouring the market for another No. 10, the Gunners want someone to come in who can help Smith Rowe. Not usurp him. The second half of the season proved how lucky Arsenal are to have the 20-year-old, which also means they have to make sure they can protect him accordingly.

With links from James Maddison to Martin Odegaard, Villa have decided to, again, try and flex their muscles by lodging a new £30m bid for the Croydon-lad.

Arsenal reject embarrassing £30m Emile Smith Rowe bid from Aston Villa as Dean Smith’s side try to sign Hale End graduate in summer transfer window

As per The Athletic, it’s been rejected.

On the one hand this is Villa trying to prove a point. They believe they can compete with the biggest sides in the country and there is no better way to demonstrate that other than to try and pinch their players off them.

Yet, Arsenal had their worst season in Smith Rowe’s lifetime. Where did they finish? Above Aston Villa. The cheek to think £30m would convince both Arsenal and the player is quite extraordinary.

If they truly want to land his signature, and the reports are that they aren’t backing down, they’ve got to be looking at an astronomical fee well above market value: Smith Rowe is an excellent talent, 20 years old and homegrown. He’s unique and it will require a unique fee to take him north.

This power play from Villa could also be a sign of weakness. How certain are they they Jack Grealish is going to be sold when they’re moving for a player who plays in the same positions? That’s their problem, though.

On the reassuring aspect, Arsenal have no intention of selling Smith Rowe and the sooner Villa know they’re wasting their time, the better.

It’s nowhere near enough, but that a club is willing to fork out £30m on a player with essentially just six months of Premier League football under his belt indicates that Arsenal are doing something right amid so much else being done wrong.

But hey, Villa, try a bit harder.