---
title: "Aston Villa: Smith Rowe move ruled out"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/aston-villa-smith-rowe-move-ruled-out/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Charlie Smith"
section: "Aston Villa"
published: "2021-07-15T17:31:38Z"
modified: "2021-07-15T17:31:38Z"
---

# Aston Villa: Smith Rowe move ruled out

**Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith Rowe will not be moving to Aston Villa this summer, according to transfer expert [Fabrizio Romano](https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1415062424940580866).**

### The Lowdown: Villa’s bids

Villa have tried their luck regarding Smith Rowe this summer and made the attacking midfielder a [top target](https://twitter.com/greggevans40/status/1410855765104005120).

The Gunners turned down bids in the region of [£25m](https://twitter.com/David_Ornstein/status/1405161786006028290) and [£30m](https://twitter.com/David_Ornstein/status/1409442112366649344) from Villa, who were [thought to be planning a third bid](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-9763617/Aston-Villa-preparing-bid-Arsenals-Emile-Smith-Rowe-two-rejected-bids-already.html).

Smith Rowe, valued at [£16.2m by Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/emile-smith-rowe/profil/spieler/392765), [scored for Arsenal in their 2-1 pre-season defeat to Hibernian on Wednesday](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-9784443/Hibernian-vs-Arsenal-live-scores-results-friendly.html), and Mikel Arteta was quizzed on the 20-year-old following the friendly in Edinburgh.

\[freshpress-poll id=”360431″\]

### The Latest: Romano’s post

Arteta admitted Smith Rowe will stay in north London beyond the summer. [Romano](https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1415062424940580866) added that the Gunners board are convinced he will sign a new contract in a Twitter post on Wednesday evening and a move to Villa won’t be happening.

> “Mikel Arteta has just confirmed: “Emile Smith-Rowe will stay at Arsenal, 100% and no doubt”. AFC board convinced he’s gonna sign the new contract soon – no Aston Villa move for him.”

\[freshpress-quiz id=”363813″\]

### The Verdict: Time for McNeil?

Villa now have to move on to other targets, and one man who was named as a possible alternative to Smith Rowe earlier this month was Burnley’s Dwight McNeil, according to [The Athletic’s Gregg Evans](https://theathletic.com/2683811/2021/07/01/smith-rowe-remains-villas-top-target-as-they-chase-a-no-10-to-feed-watkins/).

McNeil is an out and out [left-winger](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/dwight-mcneil/profil/spieler/584769), so should Villa now go for the Clarets man, that could mean Jack Grealish may have to move into the number 10 role for the new season.

Grealish occupied the [left-wing spot on 19 occasions and an attacking midfield role eight times last season](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/jack-grealish/leistungsdaten/spieler/203460/plus/0?saison=2020), so he’s more than capable of becoming Villa’s 10 in a possible front four of Buendia, Grealish, McNeil and Ollie Watkins.

[***In other news: ‘Got told’ – Ashley Preece now claims ‘important’ ace ‘is joining’ Aston Villa.***](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/aston-villa-transfer-rumours/aston-villa-ashley-preece-shares-tim-iroegbunam-update/)