Walcott urges Arsenal to spend £200m on Rogers and Alvarez as Nelson returns from Brentford

Theo Walcott has urged Arsenal to pursue a double summer signing of Morgan Rogers and Julian Alvarez, with the two targets carrying a combined price tag of approximately £200m. The former Gunners striker made his case publicly as Arsenal prepare to accelerate their transfer planning following a trophy parade through north London on Sunday.

Walcott told football.london that both players would strengthen Mikel Arteta’s squad significantly. “We’ll take them both,” he said. “What player would not want to come to Arsenal? Morgan Rogers would be exceptional. Villa have, of course, got Champions League and he’s English, so it would be a lot of money. But I think Arsenal would be able to attract any kind of player.”

Rogers, 22, is valued at around £100m by Aston Villa, while Atletico Madrid’s Alvarez carries a similar asking price. Walcott also name-checked Viktor Gyokeres as another striker he admires, adding: “They are going to add and build and get stronger. I feel like they can dominate for many years.”

On the outgoings front, Reiss Nelson has returned to Arsenal after Brentford chose not to sign him permanently following his loan spell. The 26-year-old made 14 appearances for the Bees this season, with his time at the club disrupted by injury. Nelson, who has one year remaining on his Arsenal contract, is not part of Arteta’s long-term plans, and the club will look to sell him in the coming window.

Brentford director of football Phil Giles acknowledged Nelson’s difficult spell but spoke positively about his contribution off the pitch. “Reiss came at the end of last summer’s transfer window, having not played significant minutes since December 2024 while on loan at Fulham,” Giles said. “Whilst I’m sure he would’ve preferred more Premier League minutes with us during the loan, he has nevertheless made a good contribution with his positivity, attitude and experience around training and matchdays, and leaves us in a better place physically than when he joined.”

Nelson’s homegrown status means any fee Arsenal receive for him will count as pure profit under Premier League profit-and-sustainability rules, giving the club added flexibility in the transfer market.

Arsenal’s domestic rivals are also expected to be active this summer. Manchester City, Chelsea, and Liverpool — who parted ways with Arne Slot on Saturday — are all set for fresh starts under new managers, increasing the pressure on Arteta to reinforce his squad ahead of next season.