Five players Arsenal could sign after missing out on Morgan Rogers

The events that played out on Saturday evening were remarkable. It was something of an emotional rollercoaster if you were an Arsenal fan.

Indeed, just hours before Bukayo Saka scored a hat-trick and Declan Rice also found himself on the scoresheet in England’s remarkble 6-4 win over France to secure third spot in the World Cup, it had been revealed that Morgan Rogers would not be heading to the Emirates Stadium as was widely expected.

Rogers has been the Gunners’ leading target this summer but the Premier League champions have been gazumped by a team without European football. It’s not the greatest news.

Still, were Arsenal ever going to pay £117m for the Aston Villa man? Probably not. He is now the most expensive English player of all time.

So, what do Arsenal do next? Well, here’s five players Andrea Berta could explore signing to make up for that setback.

1

Bradley Barcola – PSG

It has been reported for a number of weeks now that the leading alternative to Rogers is PSG superstar Bradley Barcola and that is rather understandable.

While Rogers is something of an attacking midfield/winger hybrid, the Frenchman is an out and out winger. Truthfully, he suits Arsenal’s needs far more this summer and according to reports in Spain this weekend, he has already been offered to the Gunners during talks.

Described as “one of the best left wingers in the world” by Como scout Ben Mattinson, he would be an exceptional addition. This is one of the most direct wingers around, ranking among the top 4% of positionally similar players in Europe’s top five leagues for shot-ending carries per 90 minutes.

He also produces 1.85 successful dribbles and 3.70 progressive carries per 90. He’s far more explosive than Rogers who managed 2.55 progressive carries and 1.15 successful dribbles.

In 2024/25, Barcola scored 21 goals and registered the same number of assists so he’s got the end product to supplement his trickery. It’s safe to say Rogers doesn’t yet marry everything together quite like the French star does.

2

Yan Diomande – RB Leipzig

Much has been made of this dazzling 19-year-old and understandably so. He’s one of the most exciting young wingers around and proved last season, that like Barcola, he’s got the end product to match his dribbling and progressive nature.

In 2025/26, Diomande bagged 13 goals and also produced ten assists for RB Leipzig, while ranking among the very best 1% of wingers in Europe for successful dribbles per 90 minutes with 4.29.

Valued at around £101m and also attracting interest from Liverpool, Fabrizio Romano revealed this weekend that the Gunners have explored the terms of a deal with the player’s agent.

3

Eli Junior Kroupi – Bournemouth

Like Diomande, Kroupi burst onto the scene at the highest level last season as a teenager and made an almighty impact.

Daniel Sturridge has already described the 20-year-old as “one of the best finishers in the Premier League” and it is hard to dispute that claim considering he is the only teenager to have ever scored 13 or more goals in their debut season in the current iteration of England’s top-flight.

He can play up front, he can play out wide or he can play as the 10. Wherever he plays, the Frenchman is electric. The trouble for Arsenal is that they face competition from Spurs for his signature and Bournemouth have very little interest in selling.

4

Marcus Rashford – Manchester United

Alright, hear us out. In a market where every man and his dog seems to be fetching £100m fees, Rashford could be a rather cost effective method of bolstering their forward line this summer.

Reports from earlier this year suggest there is an interest in the England man and with his future at Manchester United up in the air, he could well be on the move.

Barcelona refused to pay a £26m option to buy the player which was a rather puzzling decision considering just how good he was for the Spanish side in 2025/26.

During his time on loan at Camp Nou, he scored 14 goals and supplied a further 14 assists. For Mikel Arteta, he could be the perfect Rogers alternative given his vast Premier League experience. The Spaniard loves that about a player.

5

Morgan Gibbs-White – Nottingham Forest

After selling Elliot Anderson, the odds of Nottingham Forest also allowing Gibbs-White to depart the City Ground this summer feels remote.

Still, he’s a player who has been on Arsenal’s radar and of all the options on this list, is perhaps the closest in profile to Rogers. A natural number 10, the Englishman can also play out wide and has just had the best season of his career.

Perhaps unfairly excluded from England’s World Cup squad, Thomas Tuchel ignored the playmaker despite a campaign in which he scored 18 and assisted seven.