Arsenal are expected to lodge their first bid for Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers very soon, according to GIVEMESPORT senior football correspondent Ben Jacobs.
Rogers enjoyed an exceptional 2025/26 season for the Villans, scoring 14 goals and providing 11 assists across all competitions. This productive campaign has unsurprisingly sparked interest from several top clubs, including the Gunners, who have reportedly made Rogers their primary attacking target for the summer.
The North Londoners opened talks on the player's side a number of weeks ago, and are now expected to accelerate their pursuit by approaching Villa directly about a potential deal.
It's well documented that the West Midlands outfit are holding out for an excessive fee for Rogers, with Elliot Anderson's £116million move to Manchester City potentially being used as a benchmark in negotiations.
Arsenal are preparing to test Aston Villa's resolve
Morgan Rogers
Arsenal are intent on upgrading the front end of their squad this summer. Leandro Trossard is set to join Besiktas, while Gabriel Martinelli could also leave N5, paving the way for two left-sided attackers to be added to Mikel Arteta's ranks.
Rogers is the top target, although Villa are reportedly demanding upwards of £130million for the England international.
Ben Jacobs has revealed that Arsenal's first bid for Rogers is imminent, and despite the supposed £130million valuation, the journalist hasn't ruled out the possibility that a deal can get done for closer to the £100million mark.
Speaking in his GMS newsletter, which you can sign up to receive free here, Jacobs said: "Bradley Barcola, Eli Junior Kroupi and others are on the Arsenal list too, but Arsenal are expected to bid for Morgan Rogers, and let's see whether Villa stick to a reported asking price, which may not be that far off Elliot Anderson's fee to Manchester City from Nottingham Forest, or if the clubs are able to get that deal under £100million.
"Last year, when Rogers extended, the feeling from interested parties was £80million, maybe with some add-ons, might be good enough, but we're in a crazy inflated market.
"Villa have brought in some money already, and there's more than one club interested, so let's see how negotiations develop, but Arsenal are expected to start formal talks with Aston Villa for Morgan Rogers, and they still retain an interest in Bruno Guimaraes, with Newcastle awaiting formal contact there."
Arsenal cannot overpay for Morgan Rogers
Morgan RogersCaean Couto (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters)
By all accounts, Rogers is viewed as a left-wing option by the key decision-makers at Arsenal. Whether that bears fruit remains to be seen, but suggestions that Bradley Barcola is the fallback option appear to confirm that this is indeed how the Gunners plan on using the Manchester City academy graduate if they land him.
Immediately, that should give Arsenal enough reason to be cautious in their approach. While Rogers, often described as one of the best players in the Premier League, has been used as a left-sided number ten from time to time, he's predominantly been used in central roles.
Fees correct prior to summer 2026
All 10 found — excellent!
Thus, spending in excess of £100million on a player to play in a role he's hardly been used in previously is a huge risk.
If it turns out Rogers looks unnatural in wide areas and is unable to play as a proper winger, Arsenal will have wasted a huge sum of money failing to fix an issue in their squad.
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