Aston Villa improved £30million bid for Smith-Rowe – “Arsenal will be fuming”

Having already beaten Arsenal to the signing of Emi Buendia, Aston Villa added insult to injury by making a £25million bid to try and tempt Emile Smith-Rowe into refusing to sign his new Arsenal contract.

That initial bid was dismissed out of hand, but now it appears that Villa are now going to test Arsenal even further by upping their bid by another £5million. Everyone is expecting the Villains to get a windfall of at least £100million by selling Jack Grealish to moneybags Man City before the window shuts, so they are likely to have money to invest heavily on replacements, of which Buendia was the first.

But the Villa legend Gabby Agbonlahor thinks that his club are still hopeful as long as Smith-Rowe hasn’t signed his new contract, but is pretty sure that the Gunners would not entertain the notion even at the improved price.

“They’re just testing Arsenal’s resolve and maybe Arsenal need the money,” Agbonlahor told Football Insider. “I still look at it and think the age, the talent he’s got, the season he’s had, I don’t see Aston Villa getting him at that price.

“Arsenal will be fuming, they will probably see it as an insult, offering £30million to one of their best young players.

LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 09: Emile Smith Rowe of Arsenal celebrates after scoring at Emirates Stadium on January 09, 2021. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

“I just don’t see that one happening. I’ve seen Arsenal fans on social media now see Aston Villa as the enemy because we’re trying to steal their best young players for £30million.

“I just don’t think he’d want to leave Arsenal, to be honest. He’d probably see Arsenal as a bigger club than Aston Villa with their history and coming through the academy.”

I think I have to agree that Arsenal would not consider selling at that price, but it is possible that Agbonlahor is correct that Arteta needs the money, but what price would be enough to tempt him to cash in to secure his other targets?

But surely if Smith-Rowe wants to put off any further speculation, then all he has to do is announce that he will be extending his contract...

Tags Agbonlahor Aston Villa Smith-Rowe

23 Comments

  1. Arsenal want a double for Smith Rowe at £60M. So if Villa are serious then try £100+M. Otherwise forget it.

  2. The summer transfer gossip nonsense…..fake news, or agents talking up their players to get better terms on contracts….

  3. So Arsenal need the money to get who? A young talent like that cannot be sold at any price. Arsenal is looking for players and some body thinks they will be tempted to sell and then get who?

    1. I want ESR to retire at Arsenal, but everyone has a price. I’ll support selling him…only if Villa are willing to cough up 7 figures 😌

  4. If Arsenal wants to build on what they have now and for the future Emile Smith Rowe should not be for sale.

  5. I honestly think villa are wasting their time he ain’t going anywhere, he will sign a new contract and is one of the players who the team should be built around.

    OT Austria are out now, they played well. Maybe we should go in for sabitzer at a bargain £15m?

  6. Villa has guts, I’ll give them that. Anyway, ESR is going nowhere, unless, of course, Villa is willing to add another zero to their £30m bid. That’s the only way.

  7. They’re starting to be annoying now.

    If they’re really serious abt their interest they should add Grealish to that £30m

  8. I dont think A.Villa are serious as if they are fooling Arsenal, they aware that Arsenal need a cretive mid-filder (no_10) and right now we have only ESR while in the market for another no_10. Am 100% sure that Smith wont go anywhere.

  9. the team that gives you the opportunity to shine someone’s eyes to like you, you should be loyal to it. he should do his first senior contract and see how he fairs then can decide on his future.

      1. lol @SueP. We can’t even buy Odegaard. I suggest we buy Aouar. He is still young and has a lot of potential.

  10. Will they bid 30m + 1 next? I don’t see why Arsenal would want to sell ESR or why he’d want to join Villa, so hopefully this is as unlikely as it sounds.

  11. Villa should take the 30Million from us and give us Greaish then they can have him with buy back clause inserted.

  12. I think if Aston Villa is going to show us no respect we can do the same. How about Jack Grealish and 30 million.

  13. Villans might be confused drunkers. Look, HE IS NOT FOR SALE understand please dont make urself MAD when ur not even mad

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