DONE DEAL – Arsenal confirms the signing of another Midfielder after reaching full agreement with European Giants with deal set to be made permanent, medicals scheduled, player on his way to London to complete deal
Arsenal must focus on signing Aston Villa forward Morgan Rogers this summer after learning about Julian Alvarez’s transfer stance.
The Gunners are poised to strengthen their attacking department ahead of next season, and Alvarez has been a top target for some time.
In that case, Mikel Arteta’s side must quickly switch their focus to a proper alternative. We believe Rogers would be a perfect solution.
Arsenal currently have a weak link on the left wing.
Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli were pretty good during the first half of last season, but the duo barely impressed during the back end.
Trossard, in particular, went on a four-month run without a goal contribution. He eventually made his mark with a winner at West Ham United.
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Gabriel Martinelli has a 12-month clause in his contract that expires next year. He could yet stay with the Gunners if a renewal is agreed soon.
Regardless, Arsenal need a marquee solution on the left wing. Rogers would be an ideal upgrade. He is comfortable playing in multiple roles, which manager Mikel Arteta likes.
The 23-year-old made 26 goal contributions for the Villans in the recent campaign, with nine of those coming from the left wing in 17 outings.
Rogers, hailed as ‘fantastic‘ by manager Unai Emery, has predominantly played as a number 10 for Villa, but he has a slight bias towards the left flank, as evidenced by his season heat map.
Rogers has played more games as a left winger than anywhere else in his career and looks perfectly suited, as he is comfortable cutting inside to create and score goals.
Premier League-wise, Rogers created 13 big chances last season, compared to a combined 12 from Trossard and Martinelli. He missed just four clear-cut scoring opportunities.
The Gunners duo, on the other hand, squandered 15 big scoring chances. Rogers scored more league goals than the pair (10 to seven), but also caught the eye for another reason.
His long-range shooting produced three goals for the Villans. Overall, the former Middlesbrough attacker had 35 long shots, significantly more than the Gunners’ left wingers (17).
With Alvarez unlikely to join, it makes sense for the Gunners to prioritise a deal for Rogers to reinforce the left wing. Journalist Ben Jacobs recently said that Villa could sanction his sale for £80m plus.
The Athletic have since added that the Midlands outfit could look at £100m as a starting figure. Either way, Arsenal have the funds to spend and should seek to finalise a deal as soon as possible.