Arsenal face British record £130m demand from Aston Villa to sign Morgan Rogers

Arsenal have been told they must break the British transfer record to sign Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers, with Villa valuing the England international at £130 million.

The figure surpasses Liverpool’s £125 million outlay for Alexander Isak 12 months ago and eclipses the £116 million Manchester City are set to pay for Elliot Anderson in the coming days — a deal Villa are using as a market benchmark. Despite the named price, Villa’s primary position is that they do not want to sell Rogers at all.

Rogers scored 14 goals last season and was a key figure as Unai Emery’s side won the Europa League — their first trophy in 30 years — while also securing a return to the Champions League. Villa’s reluctance to part with him is compounded by a sell-on clause owed to Middlesbrough, who are entitled to 20 per cent of any transfer fee stemming from his 2024 winter move.

Arsenal’s interest comes after a summer in which Mikel Arteta acknowledged the club needed to reach a new level following their first Premier League title. Their attacking options were exposed in the Champions League final against PSG, and Rogers has been identified as a player who could elevate the squad further, complementing England team-mates Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke.

Arsenal’s current record signing remains Declan Rice, signed from West Ham for £105 million. Paying £130 million for Rogers would therefore represent a significant step up, and the club have yet to make any additions this summer.

“We’ll start to make some very important decisions, we want to reach another level,” Arteta said. “We’re going to have to show that ambition because they are more than capable of doing it but it’s going to demand us to be very, very ambitious, very fast and very smart.”

Rogers is currently with the England squad at the World Cup, where his performances are only likely to intensify scrutiny of his club future. Whether Arsenal are willing to meet Villa’s valuation remains to be seen.