Arsenal target Rogers in £100m-plus bid as £86m Yildiz move gets green light

Arsenal are lining up a £100m-plus bid for Aston Villa winger Morgan Rogers and have received a boost in their pursuit of Juventus forward Kenan Yildiz, as the newly-crowned Premier League champions look to reinforce under manager Mikel Arteta this summer.

Rogers, 23, is understood to be Arsenal’s primary left-wing target, with the Gunners believed to be leading the race ahead of Manchester City and Chelsea. The Aston Villa forward scored 14 goals in all competitions last season and is currently representing England at the FIFA World Cup. According to TEAMtalk, Arsenal are prepared to meet the £100m-plus fee Villa would demand — a figure that would surpass the club’s existing record sale, Jack Grealish’s £100m move to Manchester City in 2021.

Arteta is said to view Rogers as a clear upgrade on Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard, who shared left-flank duties last season, and Rogers has reportedly been impressed by the Spaniard’s vision for his role at the club. Villa manager Unai Emery, however, has publicly urged Rogers to stay. “He has improved massively, he is hungry, humble and still has so much room to grow,” Emery said. “My message to Morgan is simple: continue here, continue developing and the future will come naturally.”

The pursuit of Yildiz has gathered momentum after Turkey’s group-stage elimination from the World Cup freed the Juventus youngster to hold transfer talks. The 20-year-old has been identified as a potential £86m signing, according to reports, giving Arteta another attacking option to consider as he looks to build depth.

Arsenal made their first summer signing last week, converting Piero Hincapie’s loan from Bayer Leverkusen into a permanent deal worth £34.5m. The 24-year-old Ecuador international is expected to be the first of several arrivals ahead of the Gunners’ 2026-27 Premier League opener at home to newly-promoted Coventry City on August 21.

Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta have reportedly been handed a transfer budget of around £250m as the club looks to consolidate after ending a 22-year wait for the league title.