Morgan Rogers ‘keen on Arsenal transfer’ amid ‘ridiculous’ Aston Villa exit news
Aston Villa face an uphill battle to keep some of their star players in the West Midlands following a disappointing end to the season.
Villa missed out on qualification for next year's UEFA Champions League after a controversial 2-0 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford on the final day of the season.
As a result, this is impacting their summer transfer strategy.
Lingering financial issues are crippling Villa's ability to recruit the calibre of players Unai Emery will demand, while missing out on Europe's most prestigious competition could turn player's heads.
Vice-captain Emiliano Martínez looks destined to leave Villa Park, while Morgan Rogers has also been linked with a potential exit.
Arsenal add Aston Villa's Rogers to transfer shortlist
Arsenal have already tried to pinch one of Emery's star players after they launched a late bid for Ollie Watkins in the winter transfer window.
The approach was immediately rejected. However, according to The Times (5 June), the Gunners might test the waters again as they add Rogers to their list of attacking targets.
| Player | Games Played | Goals | Assists | Minutes Played |
| Ollie Watkins | 54 | 17 | 14 | 3,578' |
| Morgan Rogers | 54 | 14 | 15 | 4,496' |
| Jhon Duran | 31 | 12 | - | 1,046' |
| Marco Asensio | 21 | 8 | 1 | 1,119' |
| Youri Tielemans | 53 | 5 | 10 | 4,511' |
Rogers enjoyed a stellar campaign for Villa, topping the charts for the most assists this season, while only sitting three behind his international colleague in goals scored.
The England international has arguably become Villa's most influential player, and ex-Villa scout Bryan King - speaking exclusively to Villa News - believes the Midlands club hold all the cards regarding his future, despite Rogers potentially being interested in a move to Arsenal.
“I’m sure a move to Arsenal would appeal to Rogers,” King said.
“When you’re talking about top-class players, Rogers is one of them. Therefore, all the top teams will be looking at him if he is available.
“However, this is a player under contract; if Villa don’t want him to go, he won’t go, it is as simple as that. It isn’t up to the player; it is up to the club. Villa will decide if they want to take an initial enquiry, if there is an initial enquiry, any further.
“These stories you see now are ridiculous. They forget it is the club that controls the player, it isn’t the player that controls the club.”
Villa must build around Rogers
There is a clear temptation to sell a player the Villans signed from Middlesbrough for just £8million for a much higher fee. However, doing this would significantly harm Emery's prospects next season.
The 22-year-old possesses many unique attributes, namely his ability to carry the ball through the midfield while racking up impressive goal-scoring contributions.
The versatile midfielder has also shown he is extremely robust with an impressive engine, and should be the main player Villa build the team around for the future.