Journalist Peter O’Rourke has been discussing Aston Villa and their pursuit of Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe.
Dean Smith’s men made an approach for the 20-year-old midfielder last week, although that bid was swiftly rejected by the Gunners as they are hoping to tie him down to a new long-term deal. It has since been claimed that the Villans will be looking to make another bid for his services, as it now appears to be a race between the two sides to see which team will get his signature.
And speaking on the latest edition of Touchline Talk, O’Rourke claimed that Villa will not be giving up in trying to bring him in this summer and thinks that there might be a way for them to take him away from the Emirates Stadium:
“From what I’m hearing, Villa are quite hopeful they could possibly get this deal done, which would cause a lot of shock for Arsenal fans, who will see Smith Rowe as a key part of their future under Mikel Arteta and the way forward, they have to keep their best young players like Emile Smith Rowe.
“But Villa obviously have got plenty of money in reserve, they could maybe try and tempt Arsenal into selling him and everything else and offer big wages.”
TIF Thoughts on Peter O’Rourke’s comments on Emile Smith Rowe and Aston Villa…
Will Villa finish in the top half next season?
Yes
No
This certainly would be something of a statement of intent from Villa if they could get this deal done.
Not only would they have trumped Arsenal once this summer with their move for Emiliano Buendía ahead of Mikel Arteta’s men, but to take away such a promising youngster, having been described as ‘like Dennis Bergkamp’ and one who is an Arsenal fan, would really show how much of a pull the club can have, and also what little Arsenal have.
And at the age of 20, this isn’t just a signing for the here and now, this is potentially a move that could see Villa set up for the next decade if he manages to live up to the reputation that appears to have been placed upon him by some within the game.
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