Eli Junior Crupi may not be an Arsenal player yet, but he provided one of the moments of the season for the players and coaching staff at Emirates Stadium.
Two weeks ago, as players gathered at their London Colney training base to watch Bournemouth v Manchester City, it was the young French striker’s goal that confirmed the Gunners were Premier League champions.
This move will forever keep Crupi in the hearts of Arsenal supporters around the world, and signing him this summer could be a big deal.
Well, if reports are to be believed, the French sensation is on their radar ahead of the transfer window.
Arsenal aim to sign a player even better than Crupi
One of Arsenal’s biggest priorities this summer is strengthening their forward line. Clearly, Mikel Arteta was not completely satisfied with the results of the games of Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze and Victor Gokeres, who joined the club a year ago.
Crupi would certainly tick a lot of boxes, but an offer of over £80m could be prohibitive for Arsenal depending on other priorities.
The latest update on the move comes after Fabrizio Romano reported on Monday that the Gunners had begun talks to sign the player from Bournemouth. Manchester City and PSG are also in the race to sign the 19-year-old.
The teenager is not the only proven Premier League player that Andrea Berta could bring to the Emirates. Indeed, Morgan Rodgers remains a key target for Arsenal.
According to BBC Sport’s Sami Mokbel, Rodgers is on the club’s shortlist alongside Crupi, but could cost suitors more than £80m as well.
Mokbel went on to say that Arsenal’s interest in the Aston Villa player is “genuine” but that they face competition from Manchester United to sign Arsenal from the Midlands.
However, Rodgers is said to be “open” to joining Arteta’s side as he wants to leave Villa for the chance to win another major silverware this season.
Why Rodgers is a better contract than Crupi
Don’t get me wrong, if Arsenal are able to sign both players, it would be a huge sign of their intentions for next season.
Currently, there are not many young players in world soccer who are better than Crupi. He scored 13 goals in the 2025/26 season, the highest number of goals ever scored by a teenager in his debut season in the Premier League. he has a special talent.
But while the Gunners need to sign a reply to Erling Haaland, a ruthless centre-forward who can win games on his own, that is not their biggest priority this summer. Instead, sign a winger.
No matter how good Crupi is, Rodgers has to be Berta and Co.’s priority in the coming months if the prices are the same.
The 23-year-old Villa superstar is arguably one of the best players in the Premier League. the best Players outside of the typical big six sides of the division.
He won the PFA Young Player of the Year award in the 2024/25 season and has not slowed down since his breakthrough season under manager Unai Emery. He is getting better and better and will be a versatile player who can take Arsenal’s front line to the next level.
Rogers – Career by season | ||
|---|---|---|
season | the goal | assist |
2022/23 | 1 | 1 |
2023/24 | 10 | 9 |
2024/25 | 14 | 16 |
2025/26 | 14 | 12 |
Now, there may be legitimate concerns about Rodgers’ profile. It looks a lot like Eze. Both prefer to play as number 10s, but can also play on the left flank.
However, there is a sense that what Arsenal are missing on the left side of their attack is an England international. As Rodgers once admitted, he doesn’t really 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 pitch, I want to play there.”
That should be music to the ears of supporters, and it should be music to the ears of Arteta, who loves just such a player.
The striker position is highly debatable this summer, but if there’s one area we need to strengthen, it’s on the left. Leandro Trossard had not scored in 25 games before scoring the vital goal against West Ham.
As for Gabriel Martinelli, he may well have scored the crucial equalizer against Manchester City earlier in the season, but it was his only goal in the Premier League all season.
This duo feels like two of the team’s most expendable assets this summer, and signing a player like Rodgers would represent a huge upgrade.
Crupi is a great player, but he’s not exactly a left winger. Rodgers is far better suited to the role and could be a game-changer for Arteta’s attack.
The former Middlesbrough man scored 14 goals in successive seasons and provided 16 assists in 2024/25 and a further 12 in 2025/26.
Arsenal have raided the Premier League in the past and have already achieved a lot of success. David Raya and Declan Rice are proof of that. Rodgers will definitely be a success story.
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