Arsenal target Morgan Rogers as Aston Villa set high valuation

By Oliver Harrington — 22 June 2026 — 3 min read

Arsenal’s interest in Morgan Rogers

Arsenal are reportedly keen on acquiring Aston Villa’s midfielder Morgan Rogers, making the 23-year-old a primary transfer target this summer. The Premier League champions aim to bolster their squad, with Rogers being a key player they hope to bring to north London. However, securing Rogers could involve a substantial transfer fee.

Rogers, currently with the England squad in the United States for the World Cup, is understood to be open to a move to Arsenal. He joined Aston Villa from Middlesbrough in 2024 and signed a new six-year deal with the club in November. His first campaign in the Midlands saw him named the PFA’s young player of the year.

Despite Aston Villa’s reluctance to sell, Arsenal are believed to be confident in their ability to complete a deal. Rogers was also recognised as the player of the tournament in the Europa League last season, a competition in which he led Villa to their first major trophy since 1996. He has been competing for a starting position under Thomas Tuchel and featured as a substitute in England’s match against Croatia.

Villa’s valuation and other transfer movements

Aston Villa’s owners are reportedly firm on their valuation of Rogers, with suggestions that they will not consider offers significantly below a high figure. This stance is influenced by other substantial transfer fees observed in the market. Chelsea is also reported to have an interest in Rogers.

Rogers’ potential arrival at Arsenal could impact the future of captain Martin Ødegaard, who had a challenging season despite the club’s league title win. Rogers is versatile, capable of playing on the left or right flanks, which could lead to Arsenal considering offers for Gabriel Martinelli this summer.

In other transfer news, Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford, 28, is reportedly willing to accept a pay cut to join Tottenham this summer following his loan spell at Barcelona. Tottenham are also said to be confident about signing Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali, 26, though the Italy international reportedly prefers a move to Arsenal.

Chelsea’s 26-year-old defender Trevoh Chalobah, who received a late call-up to England’s World Cup squad, is a target for Como boss Cesc Fabregas. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich and Tottenham are both reportedly interested in 29-year-old Juventus defender Bremer, though the Brazilian is content to remain in Turin.

Additional player movements and club strategies

Barcelona has reportedly inquired about England striker Harry Kane, 32, to gauge his interest in leaving Bayern Munich for the Spanish club. Manchester United are also reportedly prepared to incur a loss on 25-year-old Uruguay midfielder Manuel Ugarte to facilitate his sale this summer.

Leeds United are nearing a deal for Southampton’s 22-year-old Northern Ireland midfielder Shea Charles, who has one year remaining on his contract. Brighton are also close to securing 27-year-old Venezia and Austria defender Michael Svoboda.

Arsenal is yet to finalise a deal for 17-year-old Kolkheti and Georgia Under-21 midfielder Andria Bartishvili, with Liverpool and Paris FC also pursuing a move for the player. Additionally, West Ham’s 26-year-old France defender Jean-Clair Todibo is reportedly close to a loan move to Fenerbahce following West Ham’s relegation.

Arsenal is also expected to approach Lille for 18-year-old Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, who is also being monitored by Liverpool and could command a significant fee. Progress has been made in negotiations with Leicester for 16-year-old Jeremy Monga, who is expected to join Arsenal’s cohort of young players.

Source: bbc.co.uk