Aston Villa are preparing for life without Morgan Rogers next season, with the England midfielder a key transfer target for Arsenal.
The Gunners have already held advanced talks with Rogers' representatives, according to Fabrizio Romano, and GIVEMESPORT senior football correspondent Ben Jacobs says Mikel Arteta is preparing a first bid for the 23-year-old.
GMS understands that Rogers is Arsenal's number one transfer target this summer, although they will face competition from the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Manchester United for his signature.
Villa signed Rogers in the 2024 January transfer window in a £15million deal from Middlesbrough. He signed a one-year contract extension at Villa Park last summer, but there has always been an understanding that he could leave if the right offer came in.
Aston Villa looking to negotiate financial rules
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery
GMS understands Villa will demand at least £80million to enter into talks over a transfer and if a bidding war starts they will look to take that price tag to the £100million mark.
Rogers is at peak age and peak value, and Villa know bringing in a sale can help Unai Emery reinvest in multiple squad players and balance the books. Even with Champions League football this season, Villa are still looking to bring in funds as they navigate the final cycle of the Premier League's Profit & Sustainability Rules and seek to satisfy UEFA's Financial Fair Play (FFP).
One of the players they could reinvest the money in is in Jarrod Bowen, who was relegated from the Premier League with West Ham on the final day of the 2025/26 season.
According to the Athletic's Aston Villa reporter Jacob Tanswell, Bowen is on Villa's list of candidates during the summer window, although they have not entered into talks with the Hammers as yet.
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Tanswell said on X: "Aston Villa have expressed a strong interest in Jarrod Bowen. #AVFC recently made admiration firmly known but no club-to-club talks. Villa view a deal as currently difficult due to financial limits, but Emery a huge admirer. 29yo undecided whether he wishes to leave."
Bowen is likely to be one of the most sought-after players in the West Ham squad following their relegation to the Championship, with Everton, for whom former Hammers boss David Moyes described Bowen as a "special player", also understood to be keen admirers of the 29-year-old.
Bowen speaks out on West Ham relegation
Jarrod Bowen
Speaking to the fans after relegation was confirmed, Bowen said: "It's hard to post something like this when all you're feeling is embarrassment and pain. I could write loads trying to explain where it all went wrong this season, but honestly what you deserve from me is an apology.
"Winning that trophy in Prague was the best night of my career. Sunday was the worst. We just weren't good enough. Simple as that. And that's why the season ended the way it did."
Bowen has a contract at the London Stadium until 2030, which gives West Ham a lot of power when it comes to negotiating a fee, although relegation will counteract that. A price tag in the region of £40million to £50million could be enough to prise him away, meaning Villa could pocket as much as £50million by selling Rogers and bringing in Bowen as a replacement.
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Aston Villa want to bring him to the club this summer.