Why the £77m World Cup winner would be a better deal for Arsenal than Rodgers

Arsenal’s transfer window story so far has been one of pain.

After winning the Premier League, they were supposed to spend a lot of money on signing elite-level attackers, but that didn’t happen for various reasons.

Indeed, Andrea Berta has drawn criticism for missing Jeremy Monga and Morgan Rogers. Manchester City hijacked Monga’s move and on Saturday night, out of nowhere, Chelsea agreed for him for a staggering £117 million.

That stings. Rodgers was Arsenal’s number one target. Mikel Arteta really wanted him, but in the end he was unable to offer a bid that matched Aston Villa’s valuation.

Timeline: Why Arsenal missed out on Morgan Rodgers

It remains to be seen whether Arsenal will regret not meeting Chelsea’s £117m bid for Rodgers, but while we can understand how frustrating the situation is for supporters, we have to respect Bertha and the Kroenkes for not getting caught up in the inflated fees in today’s market.

That said, if you want to strengthen your team in a meaningful way, you may need to get involved sooner rather than later.

Missing out on Rodgers will undoubtedly be a blow for Arteta and his recruitment team, and it will be even more so given the transfer timeline.

Indeed, reports in recent days have revealed that the England international could be signed in June for a transfer fee of between £80 million and £90 million.

Arsenal were in talks with the player’s camp. Josh Kroenke spoke to them. Arteta even had a personal phone call with the player.

Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice were on hand to make a pitch for Rodgers to move to the Emirates during the World Cup.

The player was willing to sign a contract and was close to agreeing on personal terms. There were no problems in that area. However, on 2 July, Elliott Anderson moved to Manchester City for £116 million.

That moment changed everything, not just for Arsenal, but for other teams as well. Tottenham ended up paying £85m for Matheus Fernandes and £100m for Sandro Tonali. The market was devastated.

As a result, Villa have changed their assessment of Rodgers. The £117 million fee is no coincidence. They wanted to receive a more valuable package than Anderson, but when Chelsea came calling, they received exactly what they wanted. Arsenal were told to adapt but refused.

The price is astronomical for a player who scored 14 goals last season and no matter how much he improves Arteta’s attack, they will have to look elsewhere.

Why Arsenal can sign a £77m winger after Morgan Rodgers hit

With Rogers gone, Berta and the others are back to square one. They have a number of other targets, including strikers Julian Alvarez and Eli Junior Crupi.

Other options being considered include RB Leipzig’s Yann Diomande and PSG’s Bradley Barcola. The flashy, direct winger represents a great replacement player.

Another option is Athletic Club’s Nico Williams. The Spanish star was on the radar of Arsenal until 2024, when they won the European Championship.

Williams has long dreamed of a move to Barcelona, ​​having already signed Anthony Gordon this summer. As a result, a move to Arsenal could be in the cards for the World Cup winner.

The 24-year-old hasn’t had the best year. He scored just six goals last season and did not start for Spain during their subsequent World Cup success.

Still, he made a big impact when he came on as a substitute in the final. He assisted Ferran Torres for the winning goal and moments later played the ball to Mikel Merino, whose header went just wide of the target. The forward even had a goal canceled due to a foul during the build-up.

During his cameo, he made 14 sprints, attempted six dribbles and created two big chances. That summed up Williams’ words in one sentence, and it was the type of performance that Arsenal appear to need to revive interest in the winger.

TEAMtalk reported this week that Williams, who has been seeking a move for years, has resumed new negotiations with the club over a move this summer. He is said to be open to the idea of ​​joining Arsenal if he leaves Bilbao, but a transfer fee of £77m is likely to be required to sign him from Spain.

In today’s market, that feels like a bargain, especially for a player who is one of the most direct wingers in the world and is waiting to explode at a bigger club.

Rodgers would have been an impressive catcher, but there were some concerns regarding his profile. While the Englishman can play wide, he is more regularly used as a number 10 at Villa.

In that respect he is similar to Eberechi Eze. Perhaps that’s why Arsenal ultimately stopped pursuing him.

However, Williams is an outstanding winger and will undoubtedly be a priority for Arsenal this summer. They need quick and tricky wingers, attacking runners who can easily beat opponents.

Leandro Trossard has already left and Christos Tzoris is set to sign this week, but they need an elite-level wide player and Williams could be their man.

Granted, he may not have finished the most prolific season in history, but last season he ranked in the best 2% of wingers in Europe’s top five leagues in terms of 90 completed dribbles and in the best 3% of 90 progressive carries.

Arsenal need a maverick similar to Bukayo Saka on the left flank, who is as good as Rodgers but lacks the same speed and carrying ability that Williams has in players like the aforementioned Barcola.

This could be a game-changing addition and a much-needed addition to Arsenal’s attack.