Aston Villa have been warned they may be fighting a losing battle trying to prevent star man Morgan Rogers from departing for Arsenal this summer with the player seen as the perfect fit for Mikel Arteta’s side and with Fabrizio Romano delivering the kind of update that will make Unai Emery shudder.
The England star has enjoyed a titanic rise since moving to Aston Villa, establishing himself as one of the best playmakers in the Premier League and having become a regular fixture in Thomas Tuchel’s England squads.
With 26 goal contributions (14 scored, 12 assists) from 55 appearances across the 2025/26 season, it’s easy to see why Rogers finds himself in such high demand this summer.
And while Villa have made it crystal clear that Rogers is not for sale and any deal would command a Premier League record fee for an Englishman, exceeding the £116m recently spent by Manchester City on Elliot Anderson, that has not stopped a number of suitors from looking into a possible deal.
However, TEAMtalk understands that Rogers favours Arsenal over all other suitors. Sources understand that the 23-year-old has been bowled over by Andrea Berta’s pitch, while Arteta’s vision for the player has also convinced him that a move to Emirates Stadium can help take his career to the next level.
Now, former Villa star Emile Heskey has exclusively told TEAMtalk why Rogers looks destined to move to Emirates Stadium and why his sale would not be all doom and gloom for Emery’s side.
“Aston Villa will understand why they are receiving so many bids from top clubs for Morgan Rogers,” Heskey told us, speaking on behalf of World Cup betting site William Hill.
“He’s had a fantastic career so far, and a great season last year with Villa, winning the Europa League and contributing both goals and assists.
“If Villa were to get a substantial fee for Rogers, they could still buy new players and balance the books.
“They’d love to keep Rogers because he’s such a good, intelligent player. He looks to have the right temperament, too. He’s been fantastic for Villa, and they should do all they can to keep him. But ultimately, every player has his price tag…”
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Heskey reckons Rogers is perfect for Arsenal as Romano talks up deal
Should he end up at Emirates Stadium, Heskey is adamant that Rogers would be an ideal acquisition for the Gunners.
“Rogers would be a good fit at Arsenal, if Mikel Arteta is looking to strengthen in that inside-left position,” Heskey explained, before adding: “But then again, he already has Eberechi Eze who plays in that position.
“Arsenal are going to play a lot of games next season, they played more than 60 matches last year, and it could easily be the same again.
“That means every first-team player will get game time – between Rogers and Eze, they could start 30 matches each, which is a good number.”
Despite Villa’s very strong refusal to sell, Romano also feels Arsenal are making progress on a potential deal to bring the player to north London.
Romano said on his YouTube channel: “Arsenal also have an interest in Barcola but their number-one option remains Morgan Rogers. For Morgan Rogers, Aston Villa want to put a price around £130 million to let him leave this summer.
“Villa are aware of Arsenal’s interest and of interest from other clubs, including Chelsea. But in this moment, Arsenal have made very good progress on the player’s side for some time. And so, Arsenal keep pushing for Rogers.
“Barcola is on the list, but for Rogers, this depends on the price because Aston Villa want £130 million, but Arsenal hope to find a way to negotiate, maybe with add-ons, maybe with a different structure. Arsenal hope to be creative in order to find a solution for Rogers.”
The Gunners have ambitious plans this summer to strengthen their squad and an update on Barcola claims they are now ahead of Liverpool in the race to sign the star, despite a strong PSG resistance to a potential sale.
Arteta also wants to sign a new midfielder this summer, though efforts to sign an £80m target, also wanted by Manchester United, have received an instant response.
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