Arsenal Transfer News: Gunners eye Rogers alternatives as attention turns to in-demand trio

Arsenal’s transfer window has been turned upside down by Morgan Rogers’ decision to join Chelsea.

The Gunners had made signing Aston Villa’s star man a priority this summer, before being blown out of the water by their London rivals’ £117million bid.

That fee represents a record for a British player – and is significantly higher than the reported £80million that Arsenal were willing to part with.

But while missing out on the 23-year-old is a disappointment, there is still plenty of time for the Premier League champions to source attacking recruits.

After all, they have ample money to spend and the Emirates Stadium is a desirable destination for players after a successful 2025/26 season.

As Arsenal’s search for a first-class forward continues, here are some alternative options that Mikel Arteta can turn to, now that recruiting Rogers is off the table…

Alvarez admiration

Arsenal’s interest in Julián Alvarez has been well documented – and it’s not hard to see why Arteta admires Atlético Madrid’s No.19.

The versatile attacker can operate across the forward line, making him an effective option in wide areas or as a central striker.

While he can also drop deeper, Alvarez is undoubtedly a different profile of player to Rogers and featured as an out-and-out forward during the vast majority of his appearances for Atleti last term.

That deployment paid dividends for Diego Simeone’s side, as he averaged 0.57 goal contributions per 90 in the league – registering eight goals and four assists across 1902 minutes.

What distinguishes Alvarez is his creative acumen, as well as his direct output. He ranked inside LaLiga’s top 15 players when it came to chances created (47) for example, while a significant volume of through-balls (ten attempted, six completed) reflects a player always looking to thread a killer pass.

And with Arsenal having designs on Champions League glory, the 26-year-old’s continental record will also have caught their eye.

Alvarez was far more potent in European competition last season, scoring ten times in just 15 matches and posting a remarkable 1.02 goal contributions per 90 after chipping in with four assists.

Having previously enjoyed success in England with Manchester City, this would represent a low-risk signing for Arsenal, despite the high cost of any deal – probably north of £100 million.

But it could prove a difficult transfer to pull off, with Atlético Madrid stating the player is not for sale and Alvarez seeming keen on a switch to Barcelona.

Whether the Catalans could fund such a move – or whether Atleti would be willing to sell to a rival – remains to be seen.

Regardless, Arsenal appear ready to make an approach for the Córdoba native if the various dominos fall into place and a deal can be done.

Barcola battle

Another option for Arsenal is to rival Liverpool for the signature of Bradley Barcola.

The Paris Saint-Germain speed merchant would also cost any prospective buyer over £100 million, though that feels like a relative bargain for a 23-year-old with room to develop.

Les Parisiens’ hand is reported being forced by Barcola’s reluctance to sign a new contract, due to the intense competition for game time at the European champions.

That situation looked to have benefitted Liverpool, who appeared in pole position to sign the France international.

But Rogers’ move to Chelsea has opened the door for Arsenal to redirect those funds towards one of Europe’s most sought-after forwards.

As with Alvarez, Barcola isn’t directly comparable with the former Aston Villa man – primarily operating as an outright left-winger, despite being right footed.

He would bring searing pace to the Gunners’ attack, while providing a degree of balance to the talent of Bukayo Saka on the opposite wing.

His ability to beat a man is reflected in the 36 completed Ligue 1 take-ons he racked up in 2025/26, which placed him inside the division’s top ten players for that metric.

PSG’s No.29 also has devastating end product when close to goal, scoring 11 times in 1750 minutes. Most significantly, ten of those strikes came from open play, which could only be bettered by Rennes’ Estéban Lepaul.

Though getting a transfer over the line ahead of Liverpool will be a challenge, this may nonetheless be a more straightforward deal to do than signing Alvarez.

The question is whether Arsenal want to commit so much money to strengthening their left flank in one window, having already paid Club Brugge £34 million for Christos Tzolis as a replacement for Leandro Trossard.

Diomande in demand

If Arsenal want a more versatile winger then Yan Diomande could well fit the bill.

The 19-year-old sensation enjoyed a breakout World Cup with the Ivory Coast, but was already starring for RB Leipzig last season – splitting his time between the right and left sides of the pitch.

Success in the Bundesliga can often translate into strong Premier League performances, which will certainly have piqued the Gunners’ interest.

After all, Diomande registered 20 league goal contributions with 12 goals and eight assists in 2025/26, while also creating a notably-high 56 chances for his team-mates across the campaign.

That placed him in the division’s top ten players, but the fact that 17 of those opportunities were Opta-defined big chances is even more impressive, with only four players bettering that figure.

Just as remarkably, nobody else in the Bundesliga could beat his tally for attempted (197) or completed (118) take-ons, in a reflection of his sheer dynamism when on the ball.

And though this will be influenced by Leipzig’s high-pressing style, it is also notable that the Abidjan-born prospect regained possession 27 times in the attacking third last term – a figure only beaten by Romano Schmid (37), Michael Olise (29) and Luis Diaz (28).

There is no doubting Diomande’s talents, then, or that Arsenal could match Leipzig’s reported £110 million asking price if he were to become their primary target.

But with PSG believed to be the teenager’s preferred destination – and Liverpool also in the running – the competition to sign one of the world’s hottest prospects looks particularly fierce.