Morgan Rogers has been linked with a move to Arsenal this summer, but former Aston Villa defender Alan Hutton believes the Gunners will need to pay £100m if they want to sign the midfielder
Morgan Rogers of Aston Villa has been heavily linked to a move to Arsenal
Morgan Rogers of Aston Villa has been heavily linked to a move to Arsenal(Image: Neville Williams/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images)
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Andrea Berta has been cautioned that Arsenal may need to fork out as much as £100m to bring Morgan Rogers to the Emirates from Aston Villa.
The 23-year-old has been strongly tipped for a switch to north London this summer as Mikel Arteta seeks to strengthen his squad.
Football.london claims that the Gunners have set their sights on Rogers, who is tied to Villa Park until June 2031.
Determined to retain the Premier League crown and avenge their heartbreaking Champions League final loss, the Arsenal manager is keen to add a new midfielder and full-back during the transfer window.
However, such ambitions come with a hefty price tag, meaning Berta will need to trim the squad and generate funds through player departures. If the Gunners harbour any realistic hope of landing Rogers, they may be forced to part with several high-profile names.
Last season, right up until the turn of the year, Aston Villa were genuine title contenders, sitting just three points behind the eventual Premier League champions. The England international was instrumental in Unai Emery's squad, helping the Villans claim victories over both Arsenal and Manchester City, reports Football London.
While Aston Villa eventually dropped off the pace, they were undoubtedly in contention despite an opening run of five matches without a win. For this reason, Alan Hutton reckons the Gunners should expect to pay top dollar for prising away the heartbeat of a rival club.
"I mean, if Villa were to sell, the figure I would go with is £100m," said the former Premier League defender. "For one, I don't want to sell him. I mean, he's a massive asset for them. "
"He's a massive part of what they do. He's under contract, and Emery loves him.
He can play in a number of positions, and for me, he's the link from the midfield to the attack. "
Speaking to PariuriX, Hutton continued: "When you look at Tielemans, Kamara and these kinds of guys who bring the ball forward from defence and give it to the likes of Morgan Rogers, I always feel you need someone who can dribble.
"You need a ball carrier. Somebody that can get you up the pitch, whether he plays in a 10 or from the left. He's always involved in everything that's good, and he's the guy that brings it all together for me."
Defending the hefty valuation, Hutton added: "People might say that £100million is a lot of money, and it is, but some of the, the kind of values that are getting bandied about at this moment in time is crazy.
"So I just feel for one of your top assets to be leaving when you don't want them to leave, it needs to be on a massive amount because I believe under Unai Emery and where he's taking this squad, what he's trying to do and build, they're only going to get better in my opinion."
Reflecting on the allure of a move to Arsenal, the former Aston Villa defender acknowledged: "Arsenal are a huge team that have won the league, and I do get the draw. Arteta, I think, is a fantastic manager as well, so I can see why his head might be turned for that reason, but it would have to be a huge figure to get him out of there."
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