Arsenal will be watching Michael Oliseh at the World Cup thinking about what-ifs. In case you didn’t know, the winger had a very short spell in the Gunners’ academy before heading to Chelsea.
He was still a boy at the time and no one could predict what he would go on to accomplish.
Like Eberechi Eze, who is now at Arsenal, Oliseh had to complete his education in the EFL before getting his chance at the Premier League with Crystal Palace.
He is now in contention to win the Ballon d’Or after a fantastic season with Bayern Munich. He is also quite dazzling in North America. No player has provided more assists (5) than the Frenchman during the tournament.
Clubs around the world will be asking themselves how they can get their own version of Olise. Mikel Arteta and his colleagues believe they have found someone who can star in the same way.
Arsenal make progress on signing £130m star player
Andrea Berta’s biggest priority this summer will be bringing a new forward or two to the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal are looking for more quality in the final third and are considering making several new signings to bring that to north London. Bradley Barcola is on the shortlist and they are very interested in acquiring him from PSG.
The Champions League winners are reluctant to lose him, but they may have no other choice. After all, they are planning to sign Yann Diomande from RB Leipzig, which could give them the freedom to sell Barcola. Having said that, they are asking for a price tag in the range of £103m to £116m. Yeah, he won’t be cheap.
Speaking of big-money moves, Aston Villa are demanding a whopping £130m for Morgan Rodgers, after Elliott Anderson joined Manchester City for £116m.
If the price isn’t negotiable, it’s safe to say you’ll look elsewhere. Still, Fabrizio Romano says Berta has made significant progress regarding his contract when speaking to the player’s camp.
He said on YouTube: “Morgan Rodgers remains Arsenal’s number one option. Aston Villa want to put a price tag of around £130m on his departure this summer.”
Romano continued: “Villa are aware of the interest from Arsenal, and also from other clubs, including Chelsea. But Arsenal have been making very good progress player-wise for quite some time, so Arsenal will continue to pursue Rodgers.”
Why Rodgers could be Arsenal’s answer to Oliseh
Since leaving Crystal Palace, Olise has become one of the best talents. After partnering with him on numerous occasions at Bayern Munich, Harry Kane described him as “the best winger in the world”.
When compared to players in similar positions in Europe’s top five leagues, he ranks in the top 1% in terms of progressive action, expected threat of forward passes, and expected goals from open play. He is also in the top 2% for non-penalty goals, shots, and progressive carries.
Expected threat (xT) is a metric that quantifies how much a player’s actions (such as passes or carries) increase the team’s chances of scoring.
He is an elite talent, as evidenced by his impressive 22 goals and 31 assists in the 2025/26 season. Olise has played on the right wing for Bayern, but it was in the center that he shone for France at the World Cup.
How on earth do you put Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola and Oliseh in the same team? Well, with Didar Deschamps it’s easy to see. Mbappe spearheaded the attack, with Dembele and Barcola playing on either side of Olise’s 10-a-side side.
He was magical in this role, recording five assists. He has been the top goal creator in the competition so far and this is where comparisons to Rodgers start to emerge.
Now, while the French superstars are undoubtedly great talents, there are many similarities here, not least of which is that they both enjoyed working in the Football League. Rodgers had high-profile spells at Lincoln City and Middlesbrough before his breakthrough at Aston Villa.
Rodgers vs Odegaard: 2025/26 PL stats | ||
|---|---|---|
Statistics (per 90 minutes) | rogers | Odegaard |
the goal | 0.3 | 0.1 |
shot | 1.6 | 1.2 |
shot accuracy | 55% | 47% |
conversion rate | 11.9% | 4.55% |
An opportunity has arisen | 1.3 | 2.6 |
won a duel | 4.4 | 2.7 |
progressive action | 6.19 | 7.03 |
progressive carry | 2.55 | 1.91 |
progressive path | 3.64 | 5.12 |
Like Olise, the Villa man has regularly provided goals and assists. In the 2024/25 season, he scored 14 goals and provided 16 assists. A year later, he had 14 goals and 12 assists.
Although Rodgers is more of an attacking midfielder than a winger, there are some key similarities, particularly in his ability to carry the ball and pick out passes when playing in the pocket behind the striker. The first thing they think about is how to get the ball forward. They have very powerful aircraft carriers and it is virtually impossible to stop them during full flight.
Last season, the England international ranked in the top 14% for progressive passing and in the top 16% for expected threat among attacking midfielders in Europe. Positive thinking is the trend of the times.
Olise is currently one of the best players in the world, and it has to be said that he is inferior to Rodgers in terms of overall quality. But on the positive side, the 23-year-old could explode just as the former Palace man did after moving on to greener pastures.
Why Arsenal were able to pivot to a £116m winger without signing Rodgers
Morgan Rodgers has become one of Arsenal’s main targets this summer.
