Charles Watts has claimed that Arsenal insiders have ‘laughed off’ bids for Emile Smith Rowe from Aston Villa, as he told his own YouTube channel.
The 20-year-old Arsenal playmaker has been the subject of several bids from Aston Villa this summer.
But Arsenal, who want to tie down their academy star to a new contract, have pushed away any offers that have been put on the table.
After Arsenal were beaten by Hibernian on Tuesday in a pre-season friendly, Mikel Arteta was asked about his thoughts on Aston Villa’s bids to which he responded ‘no comment’.
And journalist, Watts, shared that those inside Arsenal share the same feeling towards this surprise transfer saga.
“He (Arteta) was asked what he thought about those bids from Aston Villa and he just replied ‘no comment’,” said Watts. “I think that says it all.
“It’s certainly a feeling all around Arsenal, at the moment when it comes to Aston Villa trying to buy Emile Smith Rowe.
“It was never going to be something they considered. They laughed it off the first time. They laughed it off the second time.
“And they still believe that they are very close to getting this contract done. They are confident it will be signed and he will be an Arsenal player for the long-term.”
It does seem as though Arsenal will now tie down one of the creative talents to a new deal ahead of the new Premier League season.
If Smith Rowe did head for Arsenal’s exit door this summer then it would have been met with serious backlash from the supporters.
But Mikel Arteta will now be relying upon his talents for the forthcoming campaign because the Gunners need to get back into Europe.
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