Aston Villa are lining up a second bid for Emile Smith Rowe, but Arsenal are confident he’ll commit his future with a contract extension.

The Telegraph report that Aston Villa are lining up a second bid for Emile Smith Rowe after their first bid was effectively laughed off. Arsenal rejected a £25m bid and say he’s not for sale, but Villa still feel a deal is worth exploring and Smith Rowe is a top target.

Villa reportedly want Smith Rowe for their left-hand side, playing alongside Ollie Watkins and Emi Buendia ahead of Jack Grealish at 10.

From Arsenal’s end, Football.London report that the club remain confident he’ll sign a new long-term contract with the club. His extension is viewed as a priority for the executive team this summer and talks are ongoing.

Last week, James Benge of CBS Sports reported that Real Madrid also expressed an interest in Smith Rowe earlier in the summer, when Arsenal were negotiating to bring back Martin Odegaard. The Gunners also swiftly rejected that offer too.

On the other hand, Benge’s report suggested Arsenal were aware of what they needed to do to strike a contract extension agreement with Smith Rowe and they’re dawdling a bit.

It would be nice if they’d put our nerves at ease by pushing that agreement through as soon as possible.