After weeks and even months linking Arsenal with Morgan Rogers, the England forward will be lining up in the blue of Chelsea next season in what is a huge blow for the Premier League champions.
The Blues stole in ahead of their London rivals to land Rogers from Aston Villa for a British-record £117million, forcing Mikel Arteta and Co to look elsewhere in their pursuit of a new left-sided attacker.
Christian Tzolis’ impending arrival has helped to plug the gap left by Leandro Trossard but with Gabriel Martinelli also linked with the exit door, Arteta will be keen to add another quality attacking addition to ensure they remain among Europe’s top teams.
101GreatGoals picks out five potential targets the Gunners could now turn their attention to…
Bradley Barcola
Believed to be the top target for Arsenal since missing out on Rogers, Bradley Barcola would be a great addition for the Gunners, but it looks a difficult deal to pull off.
Current club Paris Saint-Germain, who beat Arsenal in last season’s Champions League final, are not thought to want to sell the winger and are believed to be readying a new contract for the 23-year-old.
That said, PSG are particularly spoilt when it comes to wide attackers, with Luis Enrique still able to call on the likes of Khvichia Kvaratshkelia, Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue even if Barcola was to depart, so Arsenal may be able to test their resolve with a large bid.
The champions are not the only Premier League side said to be keen on Barcola, however, with Liverpool believed to be preparing a bid in what could end up being a drawn out battle for the PSG man’s signature.
Julian Alvarez
A much different profile to Barcola or Rogers, but undoubtedly a quality addition if Arsenal are able to pull a deal off.
Julian Alvarez has made it clear he wants to leave Atletico Madrid this summer and the North Londoners are thought to be among the teams who could land the striker – albeit Barcelona may be more likely at this stage.
The Argentina striker is more of an out-and-out striker than a left-sided forward but his link-up play could prove invaluable to Viktor Gyokeres up front, while also offering an alternative to the big Swede.
As mentioned, it looks as though Barca hold the keys in the race for the 26-year-old and, like Barcola, it could take a huge bid to ensure he heads to the Emirates.
Yan Diomande
Yan Diomande is another player who is not short of suitors after an impressive World Cup for Ivory Coast, with RB Leipzig winger perhaps the most in-demand young player even before the tournament kicked off.
Diomande scored 15 goals and provided 11 assists in the Bundesliga last season and is still just 19 years of age, putting him on the lists of the likes of PSG and Liverpool – and now Arsenal.
A price tag as high as £110m has been mentioned for the teenager as a result, which has seemingly put the Reds off for now, and it remains to be seen if Arsenal are willing to pay that price after declining the chance to pay a similar figure for Rogers.
Recent reports suggest Diomande may be set to choose PSG over the Premier League duo, but that could increase Arsenal’s hopes of landing Barcola, of course.
Marcus Rashford
This would certainly raise some eyebrows, but the more you look at it, the more it looks like a move for Marcus Rashford would be a shrewd bit of business by Arsenal.
The England international is almost certain to leave Manchester United after returning from a loan spell at Barcelona which saw him win LaLiga, score 14 goals and assist the same amount – although ultimately Barca have opted not to sign the 28-year-old permanently.
A reported £40m clause has reportedly expired but with United keen to sell, the actual fee is unlikely to be too much more, which could end up being a bargain for a player of Rashford’s quality, who was curiously underused by Thomas Tuchel at the World Cup.
His time at both Aston Villa and Barcelona proved the left-sided forward could thrive in the right environment, which he will definitely have under Arteta. While perhaps a more risky move, this might be a smart one they get done.
Nico Williams
Days after winning the World Cup, could Nico Williams finally make the move from boyhood team Athletic Club?
Williams had become a bit of a forgotten man after an injury-hit 2025-26 campaign but reminded everyone of his quality with his impact off the bench for Spain at the World Cup, which included setting up Ferran Torres’ winner in the final.
His strong ties to the Basque region have kept the 24-year-old at Athletic despite plenty of interest over the years, but a move to the Premier League champions would be hard to turn down.
A reported £80m is slightly less than the likely fee for Barcola or Diomande and looks like a player who could hit the ground running in the Premier League.
