Aston Villa have had a second offer for Emile Smith Rowe worth £30m rejected by Arsenal, who are still yet to finalise a new contract for the attacking midfielder.
The Midlands club had an initial offer worth £25m turned down earlier this month but have shown no signs of dropping their interest in the 20-year-old.
There has been lots of discussion around whether or not Villa would return with a bigger offer and they've done exactly that, but once again their approach has been rebuffed.
According to David Ornstein, Dean Smith's side increased their offer to £30m but the Gunners are adamant he is not for sale and remain confident of retaining his services for many years to come.
Negotiations between Smith Rowe and Arsenal are ongoing with regards to a new contract, although they are yet to find a breakthrough. Villa appear to be looking to take advantage of the current situation as they think about life after Jack Grealish, who could depart this summer.
Villa have already signed Emiliano Buendia this summer, a player the Gunners were heavily linked with, but their interest in Smith Rowe shows they're still looking to add further creative talent to their squad and highlights further the ambition of current owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens.
Smith Rowe is one of a number of promising young talents Arsenal will be hoping to build their team around in the coming seasons and while there is a confidence within the club the 20-year-old will commit his future to the Gunners beyond 2023, the bids from Villa will undoubtedly have some fans sweating.
The summer is expected to be a busy one for Arsenal. Prominent first team figures like Granit Xhaka have been linked with exits, and 90min revealed earlier in June that they are willing to spend up to £250m on new players this summer.
Some of their touted targets include Anderlecht midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga and Sheffield United goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, with Brighton defender Ben White also thought to be inching closer to a move to the Emirates.
Talks with Benfica over full back Nuno Tavares have also started, though he isn't expected to dislodge Kieran Tierney from his starting spot anytime soon.
Source : 90min