Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard all reportedly played a role in Arsenal’s attempt to convince Morgan Rogers to join the club before the England international opted for a record-breaking move to Chelsea.
Chelsea completed the signing of Rogers from Aston Villa for a reported £117 million, making the 23-year-old the most expensive British player in football history.
The Blues moved quickly after England’s World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina, reaching an agreement with Aston Villa before finalising personal terms following talks between Rogers and head coach Xabi Alonso.
However, Arsenal were understood to have been firmly in the race for much of the summer.
Reports suggest Mikel Arteta personally spoke with Rogers as the Gunners looked to strengthen their attacking options ahead of the new season.
The Arsenal manager was not alone in trying to persuade the versatile forward to move to north London.
England teammates Saka and Rice reportedly held conversations with Rogers during the World Cup, while club captain Odegaard also contacted the attacker as part of Arsenal’s efforts to sell the project.
The Gunners believed they had made a strong impression during those discussions.
Arsenal were reportedly left with the feeling that Rogers favoured a move to the Emirates Stadium if an agreement could be reached with Villa.
The biggest stumbling block ultimately proved to be the transfer fee.
While Aston Villa valued Rogers as one of the Premier League’s elite attacking talents and demanded a British-record sum, Arsenal are understood to have valued the player at closer to £80million.
The north London club were unwilling to move significantly beyond that figure despite their admiration for the England international.
Chelsea, by contrast, accepted Villa’s valuation and accelerated negotiations, with Alonso outlining how Rogers would fit into his plans during a direct phone call.
The former Aston Villa star is expected to feature across multiple attacking positions under the Spaniard, a level of tactical flexibility that reportedly appealed to the player.
Although Arsenal also valued Rogers’ versatility, he was believed to have been viewed primarily as a left-sided attacker in Arteta’s system.
The Gunners ultimately decided against matching Chelsea’s offer and instead shifted their focus towards alternative attacking targets.
Arsenal have plans to strengthen several areas of the squad this summer, and adding another high-quality forward remains one of the club’s priorities before the transfer window closes.
Missing out on Rogers will undoubtedly disappoint supporters given the lengths Arsenal went to in trying to secure his signature.
Nevertheless, the involvement of senior figures such as Saka, Rice and Odegaard underlines how highly Rogers was regarded inside the Emirates dressing room, even if Chelsea ultimately won the race for one of England’s brightest attacking talents.
