Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign Aston Villa forward Morgan Rogers for a fee of £117m, according to reports, and the potential transfer has huge ramifications for Liverpool and Arsenal in the Premier League title race.
The Reds are embarking on a new era under Andoni Iraola after parting ways with Arne Slot at the end of 2025-26, and priority number one will be to revamp the forward line after the departure of talisman Mohamed Salah.
As for Mikel Arteta's Gunners, they are hoping to bolster their title defence after ending a 22-year wait to win the English top flight, and are on the lookout for a marquee attacker this summer.
With different needs but the same goal, both Liverpool and Arsenal have been credited with an interest in Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola, who is the only proven elite wide man available on the transfer market.
Here, Sports Mole takes a look at how Chelsea's deal for Rogers could have the Reds and Gunners scrambling, and how it may a have knock-on effect on the 2026-27 Premier League title race.
Arsenal's Morgan Rogers transfer was hijacked by Chelsea
© Iconsport / PA Images / Icon Sport
Prior to Chelsea's surprise agreement with Villa, it was widely reported that Arsenal were interested in bringing Rogers to North London, only to see the Blues hijack their move.
The Gunners' lacklustre offensive output was heavily criticised last season, considering that they mustered just 39 open play goals across their title-winning campaign.
For comparison, that total ranked fourth in the Premier League for 2025-26, behind Liverpool (42), Manchester United (43) and Manchester City (60).
As part of the plan to close that gap to the top and make Arsenal a more well-rounded side, Leandro Trossard has already been sold to Besiktas for a fee of £15.3m, while there has been talk of an exit for Gabriel Martinelli in this window.
Outgoings are planned to fund moves for Club Brugge star Christos Tzolis, for whom a £34m fee has been agreed, as well as an alternative to Rogers.
The name most frequently mentioned in the latter frame is Barcola, and while the likes of Bournemouth's Eli Junior Kroupi and Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez have been linked, the PSG man is the only natural winger on the list of targets.
With that in mind, it is expected that the Gunners will step up their pursuit of Barcola after being blindsided by Chelsea in the pursuit of Rogers, though they face stern competition from Liverpool.
Liverpool missed out on Yan Diomande transfer, pivoting to Bradley Barcola
© Iconsport / SUSA, Iconsport
It is unrealistic to expect any individual to replace Salah - who boasts the record number of Premier League goals and assists for a single player at one club - but the Reds were eying RB Leipzig's Yan Diomande to help fill the void.
The 19-year-old Ivorian winger is regarded as one of the brightest talents in European football, after a breakout season that saw him produce 13 goals and 10 assists for Die Roten Bullen across 36 matches in 2025-26.
However, Diomande is said to prefer a move to PSG this summer, even if recent reports suggest that interest from Les Parisiens has cooled.
Additionally, it would be fair to say that the youngster is far from a proven quantity on the biggest stages, and the touted fee Leipzig are demanding (in excess of €100m) represents a risk for a club that needs to address multiple positions in one transfer window.
Now that World Cup 2026 has come to a close, a number of deals are expected to take place swiftly, and with Liverpool's long-standing interest in Barcola well documented, a move for the PSG winger could materialise.
That being said, Arsenal missing out on Rogers to Chelsea has put pressure on the Gunners to secure an alternative, meaning that what had seemed like a straightforward deal to complete has become significantly more complicated.
What happens if Liverpool or Arsenal fail to sign Bradley Barcola?
© Imago / ANP
Should Liverpool be unable to sign Barcola this summer, then they may be forced to take a chance on a less-defined quantity such as Bournemouth's Rayan to bolster their attack.
Iraola's frontline looks concerningly stark after Salah's exit and Hugo Ekitike's Achilles injury, with Cody Gakpo, Alexander Isak and new arrival Victor Munoz the only available forwards with the experience to play a full season at senior level.
Rio Ngumoha is also an option for the Reds, though it may be unwise to thrust the responsibility for an entire campaign on the 17-year-old's shoulders, despite his excellent performances so far.
Therefore, bringing Barcola in will be high on the Merseysiders' list of priorities, as they seek to avoid another dire campaign without silverware in 2026-27.
As for Arsenal, their Premier League success has been credited to their impressive defensive record last term, but with William Saliba set to be sidelined for four-to-five months due to a back injury, it is unclear whether that solidity can be relied upon once again.
To make matters worse, there are question marks about the fitness of key midfielder Declan Rice, who played through back issues of his own during the World Cup, and amassed a staggering 71 appearances for club and country in 2025-26.
With that in mind, ensuring that the Gunners are more capable up top next season will be a major focus for Arteta, who will find it near-impossible to fill the gap left by Saliba, a fact that arguably makes a transfer for Barcola a must in order to avoid regression.