At a Glance:
- Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers has been heavily linked to Arsenal.
- Rogers could be a solution to one of Arsenal’s positional issues
- Rogers could also come off the bench.
Arsenal are looking to add to their list of attackers in the summer, and it would appear that Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers is one of their main targets.
Fans are getting more excited about Rogers’ potential arrival with every passing day, and the 23-year-old could end up being of hige benfit to a squad that won the 2025/26 Premier League title.
Rogers’ positional diversity is both a blessing and a curse for Arsenal, given that the Gunners do have a fairly stacked midfield unit, but he is talented enough that he could truly make any position his own.
But where will Mikel Arteta look to use the Birmingham-born talent, and what can fans expect from him?
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Morgan Rogers could be Arsenal’s solution at left-wing
With a dilemma on the left-hand side of Arsenal’s attack heading into the 2026/27 season, Morgan Rogers might find himself starting there.
Gabriel Martinelli’s form has only properly translated to European competition in recent times, while Leandro Trossard has become a cult hero for the Emirates faithful despite inconsistent showings.
For Aston Villa, Rogers scored five goals and popped up with four assists in 17 games for the Villains, and his playstyle is one that Arsenal could get the best out of if he is used as a winger.
An extremely technically gifted dribbler, Rogers has a tendency to constantly drive the ball forward and look for opportunities regardless of the scenario, which is a surefire way to get Arsenal fans standing up in their seats when watching. He ranks in the top 10% of all Premier League attackers for dribbles completed in the 2025/26 season with 42.
Rogers might be Martin Odegaard’s successor
While it would make sense for Rogers to be a left-winger in Mikel Arteta’s system, Arteta may want to use him as Arsenal’s number 10—and potentially reduce the role of club captain Martin Odegaard.
It has been suggested that how Odegaard has played for Arsenal does not warrant such a crucial role in the team, and Rogers coming into the side could mean a natural reduction in playing time for the Norwegian.
Attacking midfield is the position that Rogers was most used in during his time at Villa under ex-Arsenal coach Unai Emery, having played there 33 times in Villa’s most recent campaign and recording 16 goal contributions.
What would be asked of Rogers as Arsenal’s main creator is something well within his repertoire, given that his aforementioned technical ability with the ball to feet and his passing range would allow the North London side to play expansive football if desired.
Could Rogers come off the bench?
It might make the most sense for Rogers to get used to the system without the pressure of a starting eleven spot or having to play a full 90.
While not entirely the same profile of player, Eberechi Eze, who can play on the left-wing and as a midfielder just like Rogers, started his Arsenal career after joining from Crystal Palace as an option that Arteta would bring off the bench.
It would perhaps be easiest to get Rogers up to speed this way, and if his minutes are limited to start with, then there is arguably more motivation on the England international’s behalf to perform with the cannon on his chest.
