Arsenal handed key boost in pursuit of Morgan Rogers alternative after Chelsea hijack

Arsenal have been handed a significant boost in their pursuit of an alternative signing to Morgan Rogers, with the Aston Villa star closing in on a move to Chelsea.

Chelsea had a British record bid of £117 million accepted by Villa for Rogers on Saturday evening, with a medical pencilled in for Monday.

The 23-year-old, who has been on World Cup duty with England, has agreed terms on a six-year contract with the option of an additional year, according to reports.

Fabrizio Romano revealed on his YouTube channel that Arsenal, who had been heavily linked with Rogers since the end of last season, were planning to hold talks with Villa over signing the midfielder this week.

However, the Gunners were not prepared to pay a fee in excess of £100m, which has ultimately caused them to withdraw from the race.

Romano added that Chelsea are set to pay Rogers a higher wage than what Arsenal offered in their discussions with the player and his representatives.

READ MORE: Arsenal pulled out of Morgan Rogers transfer over one demand as Chelsea agree deal

The Blues were said to have previously accepted that Arsenal were likely to sign the 23-year-old, but decided to present a 'very strong' proposal to Villa at the last minute.

New Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso is said to have green-lit the deal and held discussions with Rogers himself.

Mikel Arteta's side, therefore, are now set to move on to other targets, though their £35 million move for Club Brugge winger Christos Tzolis is not expected to affect matters in that regard.

Arsenal given green light in pursuit of Rogers alternative

Arsenal are now being linked with RB Leipzig star Yan Diomande, with the 19-year-old having recently starred at the World Cup with Ivory Coast.

PSG and Liverpool have also been targeting moves for the winger, who has publicly revealed his support for PSG as a child.

But according to Ivorian journalist Malick Traore, PSG have now decided against signing Diomande this summer. Instead, the reigning Champions League holders will focus on a deal to sign striker Junior Kroupi from Bournemouth.

He claims that the reason for their change of heart is due to the 'complexity' of the deal, namely over the case of image rights relating to the winger.

Diomande is under contract at Leipzig until 2030, and it has been claimed that the German club want €130 million to sell him this summer.

The Gunners would, therefore, have to shell out more than they were willing to pay to sign Rogers in order to bring the Ivorian to north London.

But significantly, Romano revealed on Saturday that Arsenal had made contact with Diomande's representatives to check on whether a deal would be possible this summer.

The Gunners may need to sell to ensure that a deal happens given that Tzolis is being brought in as a direct replacement for Leandro Trossard, who left Arsenal for Besiktas earlier this month.

Should Diomande move to north London, he would become the fifth Ivorian player to make a senior appearance for the club after Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Eboue, Gervinho and Nicolas Pepe.

He could also become Arsenal's record signing, exceeding the £100 million they spent to sign Declan Rice from West Ham in the summer of 2023.