Aston Villa are submitting a third bid for Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith Rowe, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Two rejected offers

A number 10 is a priority for Villa after they signed Emiliano Buendia and Ashley Young, with Smith Rowe thought to be a top target.

Villa have already had offers in the region of £25m and £30m for the 20-year-old turned down by the Gunners, however, they haven’t given up hope.

Smith Rowe is yet to sign a new deal at the Emirates and is thought to be ‘blown away’ by the interest from the Midlands.

The Latest: Source shares update

According to Football Insider, who have been informed by a Villa source, a third bid offer is set to be tabled, after, tellingly, Arsenal refused to give Villa a definitive ‘no’.

Villa are encouraged a deal can now be completed, with a third bid thought to be close to the club-record fee they paid Norwich Buendia last month.

The Verdict: Rumours not going away…

The links to Smith Rowe haven’t gone away three weeks after their first bid was turned down.

If Villa manage to get a deal over the line, owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens, along with sporting director Johan Lange, should be praised massively.

They'd be spending over £30m on a player for the second time this summer, which just goes to show the club's ambition for the 2021/22 season.

Smith Rowe is flattered by the interest, and should a young Arsenal ace who got regular game time last season see Villa as an attractive move, it just goes to show how far the club has come in recent years.

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