Eli Junior Kroupi may not be an Arsenal player yet but he has provided the playing and training team at the Emirates Stadium during one of their best moments of the season.
As the players gathered at the London Colney training ground two weeks ago to watch Bournemouth face Manchester City, it was a goal from the young French striker that confirmed the Gunners as Premier League champions.
With that strike, Kroupi will always be in the hearts of Arsenal fans around the world and wouldn’t it be great if he signed them this summer?
However, if reports are to be believed, the French sensation is on their radar ahead of the transfer window.
Arsenal are looking for a better signing than Kroupi
One of Arsenal’s priorities this summer is to strengthen their forward line. Apparently, Mikel Arteta was not entirely convinced by what he saw in the likes of Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres after their arrival last year.
Kroupi would tick a lot of boxes but an asking price of £80m or more could be too much for Arsenal depending on what other priorities they have.
The latest in this move comes from Fabrizio Romano who reported on Monday that the Gunners have started negotiations to sign the player from Bournemouth. They have been joined by Manchester City and PSG in the race to sign the 19-year-old player.
The youngster is not the only proven Premier League player Andrea Berta could bring to the Emirates. Indeed, Morgan Rogers remains Arsenal’s key target.
According to BBC Sport’s Sami Mokbel, Rogers is on the club’s shortlist alongside Kroupi but equally, he would cost any striker more than £80m.
Mokbel continues to insist Arsenal’s interest in the Aston Villa man is ‘real’ but faces competition from Manchester United to land him in the Midlands.
That said, Rogers is said to be “open” to joining Arteta’s side this season as he looks to leave Villa behind in search of a chance to win major silverware.
Why Rogers would be a better player than Kroupi
Don’t get us wrong, if Arsenal can sign both of these players it would be a huge sign of intent to get to the next level.
There aren’t many better young players in world football right now than Kroupi. He netted 13 goals in 2025/26, the highest ever scored by a youngster in his first Premier League campaign. He is a special talent.
However, with the Gunners needing to sign their answer to Erling Haaland, a ferocious centre-forward who can single-handedly win games, is not a priority this summer. Instead, signing the wing is something.
However Kroupi is good, if the price tags are the same, it should be Rogers that Berta and Co put forward in the coming months.
For 23 years, the Villa superstar is one of the best players in the Premier League, maybe even the better a player outside the division’s big six sides.
In 2024/25, he won the PFA Young Player of the Year award and has been unstoppable since starting the season under Unai Emery. He is only getting better and could represent a versatile asset capable of taking Arsenal’s forward line to the next level.
|
Rogers – work in season |
||
|---|---|---|
|
The season |
Goals |
It helps |
|
2022/23 |
1 |
1 |
|
2023/24 |
10 |
9 |
|
2024/25 |
14 |
16 |
|
2025/26 |
14 |
12 |
Now, there may be understandable concern about Rogers’ profile. It is very similar to Eze’s. Both prefer to operate as a no.10 but can play on the left.
There is a sense, however, that the England international is what Arsenal lack on the left side of their attack. As Rogers once admitted, he doesn’t care where he plays. “My favorite position depends on the game,” he said in an interview. “It depends on where the space is. I want to play in the space. Wherever it is on the field, I want to play there.”
That should be music to the ears of the fans and surely Arteta likes such a player.
The striker field is still to be discussed this summer but if there is one area they need to strengthen it is on the left. Leandro Trossard went 25 games without scoring a goal before scoring a crucial winner against West Ham.
As for Gabriel Martinelli, he may have scored a crucial equalizer against Manchester City during the latter stages of the campaign but that was his only Premier League goal all season.
These two feel like two of the most affordable assets in the club this summer and signing someone like Rogers would represent a huge improvement.
Kroupi is good but not exactly a left winger; Rogers is well suited to play in that role and could be a game-changer in Arteta’s attacking line.
The former Middlesbrough player scored 14 goals last season, and assisted 16 in 2024/25 and 12 in 2025/26.
Arsenal have already enjoyed great success with forays into the Premier League in the past. David Raya and Declan Rice are proof of that. Rogers will also be a success story.
Better than Saka: Arsenal hold talks to sign “world’s best left winger”
Bukayo Saka may be joined in Arsenal’s attack by one of the best players in the game.
