Arsenal are accelerating efforts to sign Aston Villa’s forward Morgan Rogers this summer, according to talkSPORT.
Rogers has undoubtedly lived up to the hype and expectation that followed him throughout his rise within Manchester City’s academy setup.
He first began displaying that potential during his spell with Middlesbrough, where he produced 16 direct goal contributions, and that upward trajectory has continued since his move to Villa Park, with his tally now standing at 60 goal involvements overall, including 26 this season alone.
His impact has also carried onto the European stage, as the youngster played a key role in Villa reaching the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals last season before eventually being knocked out by eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain.
Rogers has once again remained one of Unai Emery’s most influential players throughout the current campaign, helping the Villains qualify for next season’s Champions League while also reaching the UEFA Europa League final, where he scored in Villa’s 3-0 victory over SC Freiburg to deliver the club’s first European trophy since 1982.
Now, according to talkSPORT, Arsenal are set to accelerate their efforts to sign Rogers from Villa this summer.
Arsenal step up Rogers’ chase
The report adds that the Gunners’ manager, Mikel Arteta, views the Englishman as an ambitious addition to his squad and is now handling the move himself in a bid to convince the 23-year-old to move to the Emirates next season.
Efforts are now being ramped up with talkSPORT, adding that Arsenal have held initial talks with Rogers’ camp to discuss his potential transfer to the club.
However, Arsenal face stern competition from Premier League rivals Manchester United and Chelsea, and this transfer battle could see Villa increase their valuation from £80m to £100m, talkSPORT adds.
Martin Ødegaard and Eberechi Eze currently represent Arteta’s go-to choices in the attacking midfield role, with Kai Havertz also stepping into that position from time to time.
Ethan Nwaneri, presently on loan at Olympique de Marseille, is another name considered capable of filling that position, though he currently sits below the aforementioned names in the pecking order.
He can also operate on the wing, and with talkSPORT adding that Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard are facing uncertain futures at the club, Rogers could hand Arteta a quality attacker who not only provides an attacking threat centrally but is also comfortable operating out wide, where he has looked even more effective.