Villa value the England international at no less than £100m, with Arsenal expected to open talks in the coming weeks.
Arsenal have reportedly made Morgan Rogers their number one target for the summer, but Aston Villa are expected to demand more than £100m for the England international.
Arsenal are hoping to sign Rogers for around £80m, which reflects his current valuation, but Villa are in a strong position.
The 23-year-old signed a new contract in November that runs until 2031, meaning they have little pressure to sell on the cheap, even if they do have European financial issues to worry about.
According to The Guardian, Arsenal are expected to begin talks with Villa in the coming weeks, although there is little expectation that any deals involving World Cup players will be completed before the tournament is over, or before the player’s country has been eliminated, at least.
Rogers scored 12 goals and provided 14 assists in 55 appearances last season as he helped Villa win the Europa League and finish fourth in the Premier League.
The situation could be helped by Unai Emery’s interest in wide players. Emery is believed to have an eye on Gabriel Martinelli, which could ease discussions between two clubs whose relationship is far from ideal at present.
Rogers is primarily an attacking midfielder, and where he would fit into Arsenal’s squad remains an open question. He can play wide, but his best position is through the middle.
Martin Odegaard remains a huge favourite of Mikel Arteta, but he is being increasingly linked with a possible exit as Arsenal look at players who can add more goals and creativity.
Even so, there is still no clear indication that Arteta is ready to let him go.
However, Odegaard is now heading into the final two years of his current contract, and there have been no reports of talks over a new deal.
Rogers is believed to be keen on the idea of joining Arsenal and was reportedly the first player in the England camp to greet the Arsenal players when they arrived.
Villa’s position, however, is clear. Rogers is under contract until 2031, and, as things stand, unlikely to be allowed to leave for less than £100m.
- Rice sends message to Arteta over Arsenal pre-season planDeclan Rice has told Mikel Arteta he’ll be ready to play from his first day back with Arsenal for pre-season, with the England international set for a late return.
- Why Jurrien Timber left Arsenal’s pre-season camp this weekJurrien Timber briefly left Arsenal’s pre-season training camp in Spain earlier this week, but talk of a setback has been played down.
- Arsenal close in on Newcastle United signingArsenal are closing in on a deal to sign Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United, which would be one of three signings the Gunners still want to make this summer.
- Why has Mudryk’s doping ban ended early?Mykhailo Mudryk has been cleared to return to play less than two years into his four-year doping ban, despite the player admitting to committing the violation.
- Arsenal’s squad list for Girona pre-season friendlyArsenal kick off their batch of public pre-season friendlies with a game against Girona on Saturday night, so let’s take a look at the squad for the fixture.