Aston Villa tipped to challenge West Ham for £21.4m Premier League 'wizard'

Aston Villa reportedly still hold a genuine interest in Arsenal attacking midfielder Emile Smith-Rowe and could swoop late in the January transfer window, inflicting a potential blow to West Ham United.

The 23-year-old, who was quite the wizard during the 2021/22 season as he scored 10 goals in 33 Premier League appearances, has played merely 266 minutes across all competitions this term. A lack of game time was a huge concern last campaign, too, as he hardly saw any competitive action whatsoever.

Fabrizio Romano reports West Ham United have seen a loan offer rejected immediately by Arsenal as Mikel Arteta is keen to keep hold of his man. The Gunners boss has admitted Smith-Rowe needs to be used more regularly, however. If there isn't an improvement, a transfer might be the only option, most would have thought.

Meanwhile, CBS Sports reporter Ben Jacob claims Villa are still keen on signing Smith-Rowe after seeing bids of £25 million and £30 million rejected in 2021. At that point, the versatile Arsenal academy graduate was a key player at the Emirates Stadium but the falling down the pecking order since has likely made the move more tempting for the player.

Whether or not any movement occurs in January awaits to be seen but this one could be one to watch as the deadline approaches. Smith-Rowe's current value, as per Transfermarkt, is around €25 million (£21.4 million).