Aston Villa are on the hunt for a creative central midfielder this summer and have been linked with Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Winks, Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse and Arsenal’s Emile Smith-Rowe.
Their effort to sign the latter hasn’t panned out, however, and supporters on social media are resigned to missing out on him. Gregg Evans of The Athletic noted that Mikel Arteta made it clear Smith-Rowe had a future at the Emirates, so he won’t be leaving.
The 20-year-old has made 45 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal, scoring seven goals with seven assists. And although Smith-Rowe featured 33 times last season, his future was uncertain for a while after talks over a contract extension weren’t making progress.
Villa have grand ambitions this season and tried to lure Smith-Rowe away from North London when they thought he was attainable, but their appears were futile and supporters have given up on the story.
The 20-year-old looks set to stay at Arsenal and should be an important player for Arteta, so Villa will have to turn their attentions elsewhere.
In other news, Jack Grealish posts emotional Euro 2020 montage on Instagram
