There’s no denying that Arsenal’s Premier League success, and potential Champions League success, has been driven by the depth of Mikel Arteta’s squad, with each player playing some role in this remarkable season for the Gunners.
That said, some may have felt a little uncomfortable holding the trophy aloft last weekend, especially since Arteta’s front line have hardly been to the party during the campaign.
Noni Madueke, a £60 million signing, finished off the game with his third league goal of the season against Crystal Palace, but Gabriel Martinelli only had one goal at the other end.
Despite injuries, both players’ league goal numbers have been tough for Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz, with Victor Gokeres being the only player to score in double figures, with twice as many as Bukayo Saka and second-placed Eberechi Eze.
Arsenal Forward – 25/26 PL Stats | |
|---|---|
player | Goal (assist) |
Gokeres | 14(1) |
Havertz | 2(2) |
Jesus | 3 (0) |
of | 7(5) |
maduke | 3(1) |
Trossard | 6(6) |
martinelli | 1 (4) |
Dauman | 1 (0) |
total | 37(19) |
In the end it didn’t really matter, but it’s clear where the club’s priorities are going into this summer.
Arsenal are already working on signing a replacement for Morgan Rodgers
A deal similar to the one that brought Declan Rice back to the Emirates in 2023 could be resurfaced, with Arteta apparently eyeing a move for Aston Villa star Morgan Rodgers.
As pointed out by TEAMtalk, the Gunners are said to view Rodgers as a potential solution on their left flank, placing them alongside Chelsea in the race for Rodgers.
Villa are understandably not going to let him go easily and are likely to demand a fee in excess of the £100m that Manchester City paid to sign Jack Grealish from Villa Park in 2021.
Arsenal’s most expensive contract in history
The Gunners have spent generously in recent years.
Arsenal will therefore also consider parallel deals, with the same report outlining that work is already being done on other left-wing targets, including AC Milan’s Rafael Leao.
Rodgers’ name is said to be “strongly recommended” at the moment, but there are also “extensive” checks being carried out on Leo and others, with the Portuguese forward reportedly considering leaving the San Siro.
No price was mentioned, but previous reports suggested the 26-year-old could be put on sale for as little as £40 million.
Why Leo could get a better contract than Rodgers
Left wing feels like a position that has long been ignored in north London, as center forward was well established before the arrival of Victor Gokeres.
In fact, Leandro Trossard’s arrival from Brighton & Hove Albion was over three years ago, in what felt like a relatively short-term deal at the time, but nonetheless the club’s last investment in the division.
Of course, given the success this season has seen, it’s hard to argue with Arteta’s well-thought-out plan, but with Arsenal dominating the Premier League, it’s time to really get going.
Rodgers, who is still only 23, would be a really exciting signing, but one concern is that he has typically been used in a more wandering number 10 role, as he did for England this summer.
With Gokeres in the middle, the Gunners have a real natural force to support him from the left flank, and Leo will certainly provide that.
An energetic and powerful forward, the Milan sensation is undoubtedly “one of the best left wingers in the world” in the opinion of analyst and Como Scout Ben Mattinson, who has been a consistent performer in Italy in recent years.
While he’s probably still waiting to really take it to the next level, it’s hard not to be impressed with his performance so far in Serie A over the past seven seasons.
He has already scored 114 goals and assists in 227 appearances in Italy’s top flight, particularly in Serie A, where he has scored at least eight goals in each of the last five seasons.
He has provided 10 assists in four of the past five seasons and has long proven himself to be a threat both creatively and in front of goal.
Rodgers may be in top form right now, having scored and assisted 34 times in the last two Premier League seasons, but he is yet to enjoy the same form, having only joined from the Championship in the winter of 2024.
Interestingly, Leo has made 30 appearances in the Champions League so far, scoring 13 goals and assisting, making him very deadly even against Europe’s elite.
The 2025/26 season was a very disappointing one for Milan as a whole, but you only have to look back at past seasons to see what a game-changer the Portuguese has been, averaging 1.7 successful dribbles per game in 2024/25, on par with 2.3 the year before.
He has a wealth of experience but has yet to reach his true prime, so bringing Leo to north London could be the perfect signing for the Gunners this summer.
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