Unai Emery is looking to secure a transfer for Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe and that could spell bad news for one Aston Villa star.
Emile Smith Rowe has been a long-term target for Aston Villa.
During his time as manager, Dean Smith wanted to lure him to Villa Park and the club saw bids of £25 million and £30 million rejected in 2021.
At that point, the Hale End academy graduate was a key player for Mikel Arteta having scored 10 goals in 33 Premier League appearances in the 2021/22 campaign.
The versatile attacking midfielder, who can play on either flank or through the middle, has since fallen down the pecking order at the Emirates.
He has only featured for a combined 266 minutes this term and lack of game time has made departing the club an attractive proposition for the player.
Fabrizio Romano reported that West Ham United have seen a loan offer rejected for the 23-year-old with Arteta keen on keeping his man while Villa still hold a “genuine” interest in him, as per Ben Jacobs.
It’s a transfer saga that could rumble long into deadline day or even spill across to summer, and while Villa are keen on signing Smith Rowe, he’d likely replace Jacob Ramsey in the starting XI.
Why signing Emile Smith Rowe could spell bad news for Jacob Ramsey
Similarly to Smith Rowe, Ramsey operates anywhere across the midfield, but he’s more often than not been used as a left midfielder in a 4-4-2 system under Unai Emery.
The 22-year-old has made 10 appearances and scored once in the top flight this term, although he hasn’t been the same player since returning from an injury he picked up on international duty in the summer.
Ramsey was on fire towards the end of last season, notching up nine contributions from left midfield in the final 12 matches.
Villa are still waiting for him to reach those heights and while they attempt to qualify for the Champions League, they can ill afford to carry passengers.
Emery also needs to cash in on some of his assets. The likes of Calum Chambers, Leander Dendoncker and Jhon Duran could all be sold in this window or in the summer.
At the age of 22, the £70k-a-week star is a highly saleable asset and would no doubt attract interest from other Premier League sides.
If sanctioning a move for their academy graduate meant bringing in Smith Rowe instead, Emery may be willing to take that risk.
After all, the Spaniard did hand him his Arsenal debut early in his reign as manager, coming off the bench against Vorskla Poltava in the Europa League in September 2018.
Emery will therefore know that signing Smith Rowe is an upgrade on Ramsey and will be keen to strike a deal for him.
