Arsenal are now said to be ready to lodge a bid for one of their dream summer targets after making progress with talks. The Gunners are hoping to strengthen again this summer, even if their spending may not match their huge outlay from each of the last two summer windows.
The Gunners are in an excellent position having won the Premier League title and reached the Champions League final, and the next mission is to enjoy more dominance domestically, while trying to bridge the gap to PSG, and arguably Bayern Munich.
Arsenal came close in the Champions League final, but there was still a gap between the Gunners and the French champions, with two key areas exposed. Mikel Arteta needs a new left-winger and a new number 8, but finding upgrades in those positions is not going to be easy work.
Arsenal now 'ready' to push ahead with Rogers bid
reece james morgan rogers
According to a fresh report from TeamTalk, Arsenal are ready to push ahead with a move for Aston Villa and England superstar Morgan Rogers. It's claimed the Gunners have made 'significant' advances with the player's camp.
Aston Villa have maintained that Rogers is not for sale, demanding well over £100million to even start conversations, while reports elsewhere have suggested a deal would require a fee in the region of £130million.
Meanwhile, the TeamTalk report claims Arsenal internally believe there is a 'realistic' opportunity to strike a deal. Chelsea are also said to be interested.
Villa are said to be aware Rogers, described as 'one of the world's best players' by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp, is discussing his future options with others, at least through his representatives, given the forward himself is away at the World Cup with England.
Much will come down to how much Villa demand to strike a deal, and indeed how much Arsenal are willing to pay, given there are other options like PSG's Bradley Barcola.
Emery knows Rogers' importance for Villa
Morgan Rogers
Speaking back in December, Aston Villa boss Unai Emery showered Rogers with praise after he scored in a win. He said: "We need the numbers of the players and today and last week Morgan Rogers is performing fantastically, but he has started the season not getting [goalscoring] numbers but playing well.
"Always doing his task, always with the commitment he's showing, with the attitude he has, played each match. Today he did the same and scored goals, of course. He is the protagonist.
"I'm so, so happy because he's a fighter. He's a good guy, very good guy. His commitment with Aston Villa is massive, and his attitude every day is really fantastic. And when he's getting numbers like today, of course we are very proud of everybody, but especially today with him."
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Arsenal are ready to push hard to get a deal done.