Exclusive: Arsenal step up Morgan Rogers chase as club-record offer prepared

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Steve Kay | Editor

Arsenal are stepping up their pursuit of Aston Villa and England’s Morgan Rogers and are ready to make a first bid for the midfield star, FootballTransfers can exclusively reveal.

FootballTransfers previously revealed that Rogers was ‘very, very close’ to agreeing terms with the Gunners. These have since been finalised, and now Mikel Arteta’s side are ready to take their interest to Aston Villa.

A first bid is expected imminently, with sources close to the deal explaining that an offer of around £105 million (€123m) will be made by Arsenal. This is a figure that eclipses the Gunners' record transfer fee of £100m (€116m), which saw Declan Rice sign from West Ham in 2023.

Aston Villa are expected to knock this bid back. Instead, Unai Emery’s men have set their asking price at a figure in the region of £130m (€150m).

The signs are that Rogers is increasingly likely to leave Villa Park. The Midlands club are already in the process of sounding out a replacement for the 23-year-old, with Freiburg’s Johan Manzambi capable of operating in the attacking midfield role that Emery frequently deployed the former Middlesbrough man in.

Furthermore, Rogers is believed to have told Aston Villa that he would like to join Arsenal, although this is not a formal transfer request.

Arsenal, meanwhile, have made their plans clear to both the player and his representatives.

A sizeable gap remains between the Gunners’ bid and Villa’s expectations, suggesting that there is still a good deal of work to do before the transfer seriously accelerates, but there is no doubt that the Premier League champions are stepping up their interest in Rogers.

Julian Alvarez to Arsenal latest

Arsenal are not in any meaningful negotiations over a move to sign Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez.

The Gunners are not talking to either the Spanish club or the player over a transfer, despite having been heavily linked with the former Manchester City player earlier this summer.

Atletico Madrid have been firm in their stance that they will not sell Alvarez, who is also wanted by Barcelona and has been the subject of a €150m bid from Real Madrid.

Indeed, Atleti president Enrique Cerezo told Barca on Thursday that if they want to sign the Argentina striker, they will have to match his €500m release clause.