Aston Villa are about to be heartbroken in their pursuit of Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith-Rowe if the latest transfer update from Fabrizio Romano is anything to go by.

Villa tabled a £25 million bid for the 20-year-old, but it was quickly knocked back by the Gunners.

The Midlands side are reportedly preparing to return with an improved bid, but they are not likely to be successful.

According to Romano, Arsenal are now looking to hand Smith-Rowe a new five-year deal after Kieran Tierney put pen to paper on an extension today.

Official. Kieran Tierney has signed a new 5-year contract at Arsenal. Next step will be to extend Emile Smith-Rowe contract until June 2026. ⚪️