Lange made Villa blunder over "exceptional" £34.2m-rated star, he's better than Ramsey - opinion

Aston Villa have been one of the busiest teams over the past few years when it comes to being active in the transfer market and spending significant amounts of money on new players.

However, the Midlands club haven’t always had their own way in terms of securing certain players that they’ve been after.

One prime example of this that will now be a big regret for the Villans is their failed attempt at bringing Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith Rowe.

Back in the 2021 summer transfer window, Villa were very keen on signing the Englishman, with two apparent bids made and ultimately rejected by the north London club.

Since then, the 21-year-old put pen to paper on a new long-term contract with the Gunners and has shown on the pitch not only why Villa were so eager to sign him but also why it will now be seen as a big mistake perhaps to not really push the boat out with a move.

In 21 Premier League appearances this season, Smith Rowe has managed to score nine goals, provide two assists and earn himself an overall performance rating of 6.97/10, making him the second-highest rated Arsenal player this season according to WhoScored, highlighting how important he is to the team.

Even though Villa have their own young English midfielder in the shape of Jacob Ramsey that has shown how useful he can be in front of goal with five goals to his name in the league this season, the Gunners star has eclipsed his goal contributions and performance rating for the campaign.

Labelled as an “exceptional” talent by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp, the £34.2m-rated gem has already shown this season what Villa have missed out on in terms of his attacking prowess and why Johan Lange should have maybe pushed harder in getting him to the club when they