Arsenal Closing In on Morgan Rogers as Personal Terms Near Agreement

Arsenal are on the verge of securing a major breakthrough in their pursuit of Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, with personal terms now “very, very close” to being finalized, sources can reveal. The Gunners have accelerated their efforts to land the 23-year-old England international after another outstanding campaign at Villa Park. Mikel Arteta’s side pushed for Rogers last summer but pulled back — this time they mean business. A five-year contract at the Emirates is effectively agreed, but the real battle remains over the transfer fee. Aston Villa, who snatched Rogers from Middlesbrough for just €9.4m in January 2024, are demanding at least €150m (£130m) for their star man. That would smash the Premier League record and eclipse the €117m Arsenal paid for Declan Rice in 2023. Arsenal’s opening offer is expected to be around €85m, structured with half paid upfront and the rest spread over three years — a far cry from Villa’s valuation. The North London side have rarely broken the bank for a single player; last summer’s marquee arrivals — Martin Zubimendi, Eberechi Eze, Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke — all came in the €50-70m range, while Piero Hincapie’s loan from Bayer Leverkusen was also made permanent in that bracket. To free up space and funds, Arsenal have agreed to sell Leandro Trossard to Besiktas for a reported €20m. The Belgian winger, whose contract runs until 2027, is currently on World Cup duty with Belgium. Agent Dirk Hebel is expected in Istanbul for face-to-face talks, while Besiktas are planning to send representatives to the United States to negotiate directly with Trossard during his international commitments. Sporting director Andrea Berta, a long-time admirer of Rogers, has placed the Villa man at the top of Arsenal’s summer wish list. But with Villa holding out for a British record fee, this saga still has plenty of twists to come.