The event that took place on Saturday night was noteworthy. If you’re an Arsenal fan, it’s been a rollercoaster of emotions.
Indeed, just hours before Bukayo Saka scored a hat-trick and Declan Rice was also on the scoresheet as England secured third place in the World Cup with a 6-4 win over France, it was revealed that Morgan Rodgers would not be going to the Emirates Stadium, as many had expected.
Rodgers was the Gunners’ main target this summer, but the Premier League champions are being cornered by teams without European football. That’s not the biggest news.
But were Arsenal willing to pay £117m for the Aston Villa player? Probably not. He is now the most expensive English player of all time.
So what will Arsenal do next? Well, here are five players Andrea Berta could consider signing to make up for that setback.
1
Bradley Barcola – PSG
In recent weeks, it has been reported that Rodgers’ likely replacement is PSG superstar Bradley Barcola, which is quite understandable.
Rodgers is something of an attacking midfield/winger hybrid, while the Frenchman is an out-and-out winger. Honestly, he’s a much better fit for Arsenal’s needs this summer, and reports in Spain this weekend claim he’s already been offered to the Gunners during negotiations.
Described by Como scout Ben Mattinson as “one of the best left wingers in the world”, he would be an exceptional addition. The player is one of the most direct wingers, ranking in the top 4% of players in his position in Europe’s top five leagues in terms of shot end carries per 90 minutes.
He also has 1.85 successful dribbles and 3.70 progressive carries per 90 points. He is far more explosive than Rodgers, who managed 2.55 progressive carries and 1.15 successful dribbles.
In the 2024/25 season, Barcola scored 21 goals and provided the same number of assists, so he has the final product to complement his schemes. It’s fair to say Rodgers hasn’t quite put it all together quite yet like the French star.
2
Yann Diomande – RB Leipzig
Much has been made about this dazzling 19-year-old, and rightly so. He is one of the most exciting young wingers and, like Barcola, proved last season that he has the end product to match his dribbling and progressive nature.
In the 2025/26 season, Diomande scored 13 goals and provided 10 assists for RB Leipzig, ranking in the top 1% of wingers in Europe with a successful dribble rate of 4.29 per 90 minutes.
Fabrizio Romano, who is worth around £101m and has attracted interest from Liverpool, revealed this weekend that the Gunners are considering the terms of a deal with the player’s agent.
3
Eli Junior Crupi – Bournemouth
Like Diomande, Crupi broke onto the top-level scene as a teenager last season and made an all-around impact.
Daniel Sturridge has already described the 20-year-old as “one of the best finishers in the Premier League”, and it would be hard to argue with that claim considering he is currently the only teenager in England’s top flight to score more than 13 goals in his debut season.
Top teenage goalscorers – Premier League all-time goalscorers | |
|---|---|
players and ranks | the goal |
1. Michael Owen | 40 |
2. Robbie Fowler | 35 |
3. Wayne Rooney | 30 |
4. Mason Greenwood | 20 |
5. Nicolas Anelka | 19 |
6. Alan Smith | 17 |
=6. francis jeffers | 17 |
8. Raheem Sterling | 14 |
=8. Romelu Lukaku | 14 |
=8. chris bert williams | 14 |
11. In short, junior croup. | 13 |
He can play up front, he can play wide, he can play as a number 10. No matter where he plays, the Frenchman is intense. The problem for Arsenal is that they face competition from Spurs for his signature and Bournemouth have little interest in selling.
4
Marcus Rashford – Manchester United
Okay, listen. In a market where every man and his dog seems to be earning a £100m fee, Rashford could be a fairly cost-effective way to strengthen the front line this summer.
Reports earlier this year suggested there was an interest in the Englishman, and with his future at Manchester United up in the air, a move could very well be in the cards.
Barcelona refused to pay the £26 million option for the player, a rather puzzling decision considering how good a player he was in the Spanish team in 2025/26.
During his loan spell at Camp Nou, he scored 14 goals and provided a further 14 assists. For Mikel Arteta, he could be the perfect replacement for Rodgers given his vast experience in the Premier League. Spaniards love that kind of thing about their players.
5
Morgan Gibbs White – Nottingham Forest
After selling Elliott Anderson, it feels unlikely that Nottingham Forest will allow Gibbs-White to leave the City Ground this summer.
Still, he’s a player on Arsenal’s radar, and of all the options on this list, he’s probably the one with the closest profile to Rodgers. A natural number 10, the Englishman can also play wide and has just enjoyed the best season of his career.
Perhaps unfairly left out of England’s World Cup squad, Thomas Tuchel ignored the playmaker despite scoring 18 goals and providing seven assists during the season.
