Arsenal’s private thoughts on Morgan Rogers transfer chase after Mikel Arteta demand

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Arsenal believe they will be in pole position if Morgan Rogers becomes available this summer.

Mirror Sport revealed on Sunday that Mikel Arteta wants to make Aston Villa forward Rogers a key part of his summer transfer plans.

But Arsenal are facing major competition from the likes of Manchester United , Paris Saint Germain, Bayern Munich and Chelsea with Rogers likely to be the hottest property on the market.

Aston Villa are determined to keep him and will not want to sell especially after clinching their place in next season’s Champions League . But Arsenal believe if there is a deal to be done then they are well placed and would be the most attractive option for the England star.

Gunners boss Arteta is a big admirer of Rogers who can operate as a No10 but also wide left which is an area where Arsenal are keen to strengthen this summer.

Arteta likes players who can play multiple positions and that would also appeal to Arsenal if they are about to splash out in excess of £80m for a top international star.

There is a sell-on clause in the Rogers deal because he joined Villa from Middlesbrough in January 2024 and that may force the price up if Villa do sell because they will want to maximise any profit.

Rogers has been a huge hit at Villa, become an England regular and is now pushing Jude Bellingham over who will start Thomas Tuchel’s game in the No10 role in the World Cup.

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England’s first game is against Croatia on June 17 and bookies are even offering odds who whether it will be Rogers or Bellingham. Tuchel is a huge Rogers fan because of his quality, game intelligence and also physicality which have all set him apart as a top player in demand this summer.

Arteta has also urged the club to move quickly to get a step ahead in the transfer market and that message - delivered to the hierarchy directly after the Champions League final defeat to PSG - was clearly designed to pave the way for some big summer deals.

But also because Arsenal know they will face competition for Rogers while Villa do not want to sell and yet they believe they can lead the chase on the back of their impressive season which saw them win their first title in 22 years.

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