Aston Villa are ready to make a second bid for Arsenal playmaker Emile Smith Rowe.

Villa saw a £25million bid rejected for the 20-year-old, with Arsenal adamant he is not for sale at any price and want to tie him down to a new deal as he enters the final two years of his contract.

But the Midland outfit seem to be undeterred in their approach and are set to go in for an ambitious second bid as they look to bolster their attacking options, says the Express & Star.

Villa have already secured a club record £36m move for Emi Buendia from Norwich and a return for Ashely Young this summer, with Dean Smith also keen to add more to their attacking options.

The Villains are planning for incomings to work alongside Jack Grealish rather than to replace him, with Smith eager to ease the creative burden on their star man.