Arsenal are pushing hard to sign Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa.
The Gunners have struck a deal to land Christos Tzolis, but he is only expected to fill Leandro Trossard’s shoes on the left flank.
Mikel Arteta’s dream left-wing target is Rogers, and Arsenal fans are all really excited about the prospect of seeing him in the famous red and white.
However, Rogers himself is not a big fan of playing out wide.
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Arsenal target Morgan Rogers prefers a central role over playing out wide
Morgan Rogers is as versatile as they come.
The Aston Villa star can play on both wings, as a number 10 and even as a false nine if required. He has the quality to do a good job in all of those positions.
Mikel Arteta probably sees Rogers’ powerful dribbling and ball-carrying ability as an ideal fit for his left wing, and we can see that too.
However, the Englishman has publicly claimed in the past that he prefers playing in a central role.
When Gary Lineker asked him about his best position on the Rest is Football podcast in January 2025, he said: “Probably more central. I like being involved in the game.
“I think out wide, you can get a bit bogged down and stuck out wide. You’re waiting kind of for something to happen.
“Whereas, I think in the middle, I can make stuff happen. Even if a second ball or a ricochet can just accidentally fall to you and you can kind of make something out of it, even if you’re not getting the ball, and that’s what you have to do sometimes, and I enjoy that.
“I enjoy the battle. I enjoy the physical battle in midfield.”
Mikel Arteta’s system could frustrate Morgan Rogers if he plays on the left wing
Arteta allows his players to express themselves, but he is also a big believer in positional discipline.
We have all seen Gabriel Martinelli hug the touchline all game and very rarely get the license to invert. Even Eberechi Eze was once yelled at for drifting inwards.
Rogers may suffer the same fate in certain games, and that could annoy him as he is so much more of a threat when he plays through the middle.
If Arteta’s plan is to use Rogers as an out-and-out winger, we’re not too sure if the Aston Villa star will enjoy his football, especially against hard-to-break low blocks.
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