Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson believes that at least one of Jack Grealish or John McGinn will exit Aston Villa this summer as a result of their pursuit of Arsenal starlet Emile Smith Rowe [Football Insider].

The Lowdown: Aston Villa gear up for 2021/22

Moving into 2021/22, Villa fans up and down the country will be intrigued to see how Dean Smith’s men go about improving on their impressive 11th-placed finish last term.

Making inroads in the transfer market, the club have sanctioned deals for Emiliano Buendia and Ashley Young [Transfermarkt].

Furthermore, Villa have possessed an interest in 20-year-old Smith Rowe and are said to be ready to submit a third bid for his services in the near future upon seeing their first two offers rejected by the Gunners [Birmingham Live].

The Latest: Robinson believes one of Grealish or McGinn could leave

Interestingly, former England goalkeeper Robinson reckons that this renewed pursuit of Smith Rowe could be a smokescreen for one of Grealish or McGinn to depart from Villa Park.

In an interview with Football Insider, the 41-year-old did not hold back in his assessment of the duo's futures at Villa Park, stating: “There is talk about Grealish and McGinn going and if Smith Rowe comes in, it tells me that at least one of them is going.

“I know Villa have lots of money but if they’re after Smith Rowe at least one of Grealish and McGinn will be flying the nest."

The Verdict: Villa fans will be praying both stay put

Grealish and McGinn have been two of Villa's star men for a considerable period of time. In 2020/21, the former notched an excellent 19 goal contributions from 27 appearances, with seven goals and 12 assists [Transfermarkt].

The Scotland international registered nine goal contributions from 36 outings for Aston Villa last term, with three goals and six assists to his name [Transfermarkt]. Both players were in the top five in the squad for both goals and assists during 2020/21 [Transfermarkt], highlighting their importance to Smith's side.

With speculation regularly linking McGinn to Liverpool accompanied by mooting Grealish with a switch to Manchester City, the Villa Park faithful will sincerely hope that neither scenario materialises within the foreseeable future, even if their persistence with Smith Rowe pays off.

In other news, these Aston Villa fans react to a reported update on a transfer target.