Arsenal ready official bid to sign £69m World Cup star

England’s World Cup opener against Croatia marked a fine start to the tournament for the Arsenal contingent, the Gunners picking up where they left off back at club level.

While Eberechi Eze remained an unused substitute, it proved a lively outing for Noni Madueke on the right flank, with the ex-Chelsea man winning the penalty to kick things off on the night.

His second-half replacement, Bukayo Saka, also laid on the assist for Marcus Rashford to seal the points late on, with Declan Rice having also supplied the goods for Harry Kane with a typically lethal set-piece in the first half.

That 4-2 win also saw a late appearance for one man who could join the quartet at the Emirates next term, in the form of Morgan Rogers, with the 23-year-old emerging as a standout target for Mikel Arteta and co by all accounts.

The Aston Villa talisman could well be the long-term solution for the Gunners on the left flank, although he isn’t the only World Cup figure on the agenda

Arsenal readying first bid to sign World Cup sensation

Even with Villa securing Champions League qualification again last season, there is a sense that Rogers is heading for the exit door, after helping to steer his current side to Europa League glory.

Sky Sports reported on Friday that the Villans could be open to offers for a fee close to £80m, with both Manchester United and Arsenal among the clubs in the mix.

It is said to be the Gunners who are actively stepping up their interest in him, although there haven’t reportedly been any club-to-club talks as yet.

That might well be one deal to keep an eye on, while elsewhere, more concrete interest appears to be being shown in France’s Bradley Barcola, according to CaughtOffside.

As per the report, the north Londoners are readying a first bid for the Paris Saint-Germain man, believed to be in the region of €80m (£69m).

The suggestion is that the Ligue 1 outfit are looking for a fee north of €100m (£87m), however, with a raft of rival clubs, including Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United, also in the mix.

Forget Rogers – Arsenal need to sign Barcola

Rogers may be fighting a losing battle now in the bid to be England’s starting number ten, but to have even run Jude Bellingham close is a testament to the remarkable rise he has enjoyed at Villa Park.

From an Arsenal perspective, the fact that Rogers is primarily considered for that central role, rather than the left-wing berth, may have alarm bells ringing, with the Gunners in need of a genuinely world-class pick on that flank.

Maybe Arteta has a plan in mind for him, as he did initially with Kai Havertz in a left-sided number eight role, but if it is an actual, orthodox upgrade on the left wing, Barcola should well be the man.

As noted by analyst and Como scout, Ben Mattinson, the 23-year-old is undoubtedly “one of the best left-wingers in Europe“, perhaps unfortunate to be competing with the talismanic Khvicha Kvaratskhelia at the Parc des Princes.

He’s had to play second fiddle of late, but even in the recent Champions League final clash with Arteta’s side, his breathtaking quality was on full display, memorably surging in behind at one stage, only to see his effort flash into the side netting.

There was a similar impact off the bench for his country against Senegal at the World Cup, only this time he had the end product to match, delightfully dinking over Edouard Mendy in that 3-1 win for Les Bleus.

Lightning quick and fleet of foot, Barcola appears to be the game-changing left-winger that Arsenal have long been crying out for, with both Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli now looking set to depart.

He did endure a difficult 2025/26, amid his reduced role, yet the season prior, he had chipped in with 42 goals and assists in all competitions, comfortably eclipsing Rogers’ tally of 30 that year.

Already a two-time Champions League winner, Barcola has truly proven himself at that elite level, scoring and assisting 15 goals in 43 games in Europe’s premier competition.

Rogers, by contrast, has played just 12 Champions League games, scoring and assisting six times.

It is that pedigree that might well give Barcola the edge, with it difficult not to be impressed by his brief impact already at this summer’s World Cup.

Rogers, more a natural number ten, would be an astute pick-up in his own right, but the PSG speedster really would set tongues wagging.