Since becoming Premier League champions, it’s safe to say that Arsenal haven’t capitalized on their competitive edge in transfer talks this summer.
Indeed, after lifting their first title in 22 years, their only additions were to complete a permanent move for Piero Hincapie, sign third-choice goalkeeper Illan Meslier and add Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge.
Tzolis may have signed up to help in the away friendly against MK Dons last weekend but he is not the game-changing striker many fans have been dreaming of.
Still, they kept trying. Morgan Rogers was one of the top targets but has since joined Chelsea. At £117m, he is now the most expensive English player of all time.
Why missing out on Rogers is a blessing in disguise for Arsenal
Just over a week ago, news broke that Chelsea had agreed a deal to reward the Englishman away from Aston Villa for a staggering transfer fee.
In fact, Arsenal wouldn’t match that price, no matter how much Mikel Arteta wanted him.
The Spaniard will no doubt be upset to miss out on a crucial goal but this could be a boon for the Gunners for a number of reasons.
There is no doubting Rogers’ quality. He has scored 14 goals over the past seasons, and registered 28 assists over the past two campaigns. However, there was a feeling among supporters that he was not the right profile.
They are not good. Although the 24-year-old has played several times on the flanks throughout his professional career, his natural role at Villa has been as an attacking midfielder.
He played 61 times behind the Villans striker, compared to 35 times on the left. His versatility is amazing but Arsenal already have a similar player in Eberechi Eze.
What they need is an out-and-out winger, a direct threat to Bradley Barcola or Yan Diomande. Although the latter seems bound for Real Madrid, the former is on the market after refusing to sign a new contract with PSG.
If Arsenal can get their hands on someone like Barcola, it will be a job well done.
Arsenal have secured another of their dream signings for Morgan Rogers
Premier League – proven, young, English. It was easy to see why Rogers was Arteta’s dream to strengthen the wide areas of Arsenal’s squad this summer. He likes to sign someone who is already there and did it in England.
Barcola, on the other hand, would be a gamble in that regard but it would appear that the Gunners have other top targets; Vinicius Junior.
At the weekend, just a week after that Rogers strike, it was revealed that the north Londoners are weighing up an exciting move for the Brazilian icon this summer.
The move was made difficult by his contract situation at Real Madrid. He has a year left on his contract and while he is in talks with the Spanish club about a renewal, so far there are no signs that he will sign any new contracts. As a result, Arsenal are being delayed on purpose and according to Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, the Premier League winners are preparing their “first official offer” to sign Vini Junior.
In order to move on, it is thought that it would take around £136m, a deal that would make him the biggest transfer in English football history. However, it would be nice.
He is not only better than the aforementioned Roger, but better than most players in world football. Jude Bellingham praised him as such a few years ago. “He’s probably the best in the world for me,” Bellingham said in 2023.
Yes, of course he is still in that stage for three years. Compared to Rogers, he is ahead in several key metrics.
|
Vini Jr vs Rogers in 2025/26 |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Mathematics (in 90 minutes) |
Vini Jr |
Rogers |
|
Non-penalty goals |
0.38 |
0.27 |
|
Shots |
3.22 |
2.30 |
|
Involvement of great opportunities |
0.70 |
0.55 |
|
Open play great opportunities are created |
0.22 |
0.36 |
|
Shot-ending carries |
2.61 |
0.99 |
|
Successful dribbles |
2.77 |
1.15 |
|
Continuous actions |
11.60 |
6.19 |
|
Continuous carriers |
8.25 |
2.55 |
|
Continuous passes |
3.35 |
3.64 |
|
Won ground duels |
1.17 |
1.00 |
The truth is that Vinicius is one of the best ball carriers in world football. He ranked in the top 1% of the best forwards in Europe’s top five leagues last season for progressive play per 90 minutes in 2025/26. He also ranked in the top 7% for 90 dribbling efficiency.
Care is considered continuous if the ball is moved towards a player’s goal at least 10 yards from its starting point or into the penalty area.
Rogers is widely known for his ability to handle the ball effectively from long distances but Vini is simply on another planet for that.
Combine that quality with his end product – he has scored more than 20 goals in his last five seasons – and you have one of the most complete wide players to ever play the game.
If losing Rogers means they sign Vinicius Junior instead, fans will have no complaints. This could be the best signing in club history.
