Aston Villa reportedly hold an interest in Arsenal ace Emile Smith Rowe in what would undoubtedly be a surprise swoop on the Gunners this summer.
The 20-year-old established himself as a key figure for Mikel Arteta last season, scoring four goals and providing seven assists in 33 appearances for the senior side.
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Having come through the youth system at the Emirates, it would undoubtedly be a shock to see him leave especially given his growing role at the club, but it’s suggested that Villa are keen on prising him away from north London.
As per The Telegraph, Villa are said to hold an interest in the attacking midfielder, as Dean Smith looks to bolster his options in the final third this summer to address a problem area for Villa.
With Ross Barkley set to return to Chelsea with his loan deal expiring and a lack of quality alternatives particularly when influential captain Jack Grealish is unavailable, adding more quality in that department will no doubt be a priority for Villa in the coming months.
Smith Rowe is somewhat of a surprise name, but he undoubtedly fits the bill in terms of what Smith and Villa are trying to build with a core of talented, young English players at the forefront of our push to make progress and compete at the top level.
The Arsenal star would certainly add more creativity and technical quality to our attack and is versatile enough to either play on the left flank or through the middle to give Smith options, and so time will tell whether or not this is a serious avenue for Villa this summer.
Given our style of play and the players we have in the squad already, it’s easy to see the youngster fitting in well, but convincing Arsenal to part company with him will surely be a difficult task.