Arsenal told to make James Maddison transfer decision after Emile Smith Rowe development


Emile Smith Rowe’s future at Arsenal has become increasingly uncertain of late amid strong transfer interest from Aston Villa.

Dean Smith’s side are preparing a third bid for the 20-year-old playmaker having had previous offers in the region of £30 million rejected despite the Gunners’ efforts to offer Smith Rowe a new contract, report the Daily Mail.

But football.london understands that the Gunners remain confident the midfielder will sign a new deal, with CBS Sports now reporting that a five-year contract will be offered.

After what has felt like a lifetime saga for many Gunners fans, it’s safe to say supporters are relieved the club is growing in confidence in their bid to keep hold of the young gun.


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One fan on Reddit, @Tipytomain, jokingly said: “Can’t wait to see the dismay of Villa fans when this gets announced. They think they’ve got the sauce for some reason now.”

Meanwhile, another user, @MrDouLou, argued that Arteta and the club should invest their resources and time into Smith Rowe rather than James Maddison, who has emerged as a recent target of Arsenal’s.

@MrDouLou said: “Details as in, ESR wants to ensure he has a place in the starting squad? Cuz I completely agree with him, I’ve found it a tad cruel that this kid completely turned our season around and now we are thinking of buying someone like Maddison to take over from here. I get we need someone to rotate with him but he deserves to be the starting man imo.”

One Gunners fan even suggested that Smith Rowe can stay at the club ‘for as long as he wants’.

With Aston Villa circling Smith Rowe, albeit against Arsenal fans’ will, the interest offers potential insight into the future of Villa’s captain.

Grealish’s agents, Stellar, have held talks with his club regarding the England international’s future and a potential move to Manchester City, report The Sun.

The reports states further that the two parties have come to an agreement that would allow Grealish to depart from Villa once Euro 2020 is over.

Pep Guardiola is ‘desperate’ to sign the 25-year-old, according to The Sun, as the Spaniard plots a title defence, explaining the growing urgency in Villa’s proceedings with Arsenal.

Should Villa fail to come to an agreement with the Gunners for Smith Rowe’s services before Grealish’s departure, the Claret and Blues may find themselves forced to entertain and submit inflated fees.



Emile Smith Rowe is poised to sign a new contract at the Emirates Stadium. (Image: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images).
Emile Smith Rowe is poised to sign a new contract at the Emirates Stadium. (Image: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images).

Despite Villa’s best efforts to sign Smith Rowe, the infamously nicknamed ‘Croydon De Bruyne’ has insisted that Arsenal are ‘his club’ having showed faith in him as a youngster after trials with Tottenham and Chelsea fell through.

Speaking to the Daily Mail in March, Smith Rowe said: “I grew up in an area that should be more Crystal Palace than anything else, but I was an Arsenal fan.

“I trialled at Chelsea and didn’t get in. Something about me not being big enough, I’ve heard. But Arsenal found out and picked me up. They were flexible, too. They knew I lived far away and told me to come in when I could. Tottenham showed interest but I stood by Arsenal. They’re my club.”

The summer window is officially open, and it’s going to be tough to keep up with the comings and goings in and out of the Emirates.

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Arsenal’s number 32 continued as he revelled in the project Arteta has laid out at the Emirates since his arrival in December 2019.

He added: “We’re definitely going in the right direction. With the team we’ve got, I feel like we’re destined for great things.

“The manager’s tactics are amazing, too. It’s the little details. He’ll tell us how certain moments will go down, how the opposition will react to certain movements we make, and it’ll happen, exactly as he said it. When you see little things like that work, it makes you realise how experienced he is, and how much of a top manager he really is.”





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