Why Arsenal could spend over £100m on a better signing than Barcola & Rogers

This time last year, Arsenal had already wrapped up three transfers and there was a fourth on the way.

The Gunners worked quickly to bolster the squad during Andrea Berta’s first summer window in charge, welcoming Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard and Noni Madueke in the first half of July.

This year, it’s been a much slower start for the Premier League champions. The sole signing so far is that of goalkeeper Illan Meslier on a free transfer.

It’s not quite the window supporters had in mind but there are several irons in the fire. We know how Berta likes to operate; he lines up multiple deals before deciding on the best port of call once he’s got a feel for all of the finances.

That’s certainly what is happening right now, particularly with Bradley Barcola and Morgan Rogers.

Why Barcola and Rogers could transform Arsenal’s attack

Last summer it was all about finding an elite centre-forward. The jury is still out on Viktor Gyokeres but they did find a natural born goalscorer.

This year, it’s about finding an elite wide player. There can be no ifs, buts or maybes, Arsenal simply have to sign one.

Christos Tzolis is said to be the chosen replacement for the departing Leandro Trossard but that is not set to negatively impact their pursuit of Rogers and Barcola.

It very much appears that it’ll be one or the other. If they cannot reach a deal with Aston Villa to sign Rogers then they will make a play for Barcola.

Regardless of which player they get, if they get one, Mikel Arteta would be significantly bolstering their attack, potentially even transforming it.

Rogers is versatile, capable of playing as a 10 or on the flanks. The scorer of 14 goals in back to back seasons, he’d certainly provide more of a threat. He’s really aggressive and powerful with his running too, something Arsenal do not have from the likes of Trossard or Martin Odegaard. That proven Premier League experience is also a big box ticked.

Barcola is a rather different player. He’s more direct and a remarkably good dribbler. He’s also a goal threat and capable of creating chances at will. He scored 21 goals and supplied a further 21 in 2024/25.

Those numbers are unheard of from an Arsenal winger in recent years and while that output may have largely been delivered in France, he’s still one of the most exciting wide players in Europe’s top five leagues.

Still, could there be a better signing out there lying in wait?

Big-money forward open to joining Arsenal

Last season, Arsenal did not get much from their wide players, specifically on the left flank. Trossard has just a solitary club goal to his name in 2026 while Gabriel Martinelli only scored once during the whole Premier League campaign.

Barcola or Rogers, therefore would be transformative signings. That said, they may not be quite as transformative as the signing of a world-class striker this summer.

It’s something that Arsenal will look to do if the opportunity arises with Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi notably on their radar. The 19-year-old had a stunning first season with the Cherries, scoring 13 times, but the south coast side do not want to lose him.

In comparison, Julian Alvarez’s situation at Atletico Madrid is rather more open. He is dreaming of a move to Barcelona and Real Madrid have already seen a £130m offer laughed off. Atleti do not want to sell to another Spanish side.

They may, however, be willing to sell to Arsenal. Their interest in the player has been well documented in recent months and now according to the Independent’s Miguel Delaney, they are trying to push through a deal for the player before pre-season gets underway on 20th July.

Competition for the player appears to have regressed and he would be ‘open’ to making the switch to the Emirates Stadium if nothing else materialised.

Having signed Gyokeres a year ago, the signing of a new striker is not a necessity but it still does feel like the missing piece of the jigsaw. The Swede is not a long-term solution to the issues they have faced in the final third.

Rogers or Barcola would no doubt improve their forward line but Alvarez is simply the perfect player for this Arsenal side. He’s got proven Premier League experience which Arteta loves, he’s a proven goalscorer and he’s a creator. The Argentine is also versatile. So many boxes are being ticked here.

Since moving from City to Atleti, the World Cup winner has proven himself to be one of Europe’s very best. Argentine Roy Nemer even went as far as to hail the 26-year-old as “the best centre-forward in the world” during 2024/25.

He may well have been surpassed by the likes of Harry Kane and his former teammate Erling Haaland over the last year but he is still very much one of the best strikers on the continent. Alvarez is simply a magical player. He produces special moments out of nowhere and his goal for Argentina against Switzerland in the World Cup quarter-finals said it all.

Not just capable of doing it on the international stage, he scored 29 goals during his debut season in Madrid and bagged another 20 last term for the Spanish giants.

A ruthless scorer, he’s so involved in the build-up phases of play too, ranking among the top 9% of positionally similar players in Europe’s top five leagues for expected threat in the build-up. That’s the polar opposite to Gyokeres. Alvarez is happy to drop deep but he’s also capable of running in behind. He’s very much a multi-threat, a real handful for defenders.

Sure, Arsenal need a winger, but Alvarez is just of a different calibre to anything Arsenal already have or have had, arguably since the days of Robin van Persie leading the line in north London.

He’s a better all-around player than Gyokeres and the same can be said when you compare him to Barcola and Rogers. This would be the signing that could carry the Gunners to a Champions League. He’s a true game-changer.