Former Arsenal defender, William Gallas, has downplayed the club’s failure to sign Morgan Rogers this summer, insisting the Gunners should move on and consider alternatives such as Marcus Rashford.
Chelsea recently secured the services of Rogers from Aston Villa in a deal reportedly worth around £117 million, setting a new British transfer record.
Arsenal had also been in the race for the England international, but the midfielder ultimately opted for a switch to Stamford Bridge instead of joining Mikel Arteta’s side.
Reflecting on the transfer, Gallas suggested Rogers’ decision may have been influenced by factors beyond football and insisted Arsenal have enough quality in that area of the pitch.
“I think you have to ask Rogers; we have to ask him. Maybe he prefers the personality of Xabi Alonso, because he and Mikel Arteta have two different personalities.
“I don’t know if he spoke with one of them or if he spoke with both of them, but when you have to make a decision, you have to think very well, you have to know which club is going to suit you, you have to have that feeling, which colour you want to wear during the season, blue or red.
“I don’t know, maybe he’s a fan of Chelsea. I don’t know, but a decision like this is very important for his career. I don’t think it’s going to be a big blow for Arsenal because Arsenal have some players in that position. Now they have to try to look for different players.”
Gallas believes Arsenal should now focus on strengthening their squad with other attacking options rather than dwelling on missing out on Rogers.
Although the Gunners have recently been linked with Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr, the Frenchman feels Marcus Rashford would be a more suitable target if the opportunity arises.
“Rashford would be a great option for Arsenal’s attack. I think he had a great season, and I’m sure some clubs will try to jump on that situation. I don’t think he will stay at United. I’m not sure why no one has signed him yet, maybe because the price is too high.
“He wants to leave United, otherwise, he would not have gone on loan to Barcelona. He will try to find a solution to leave the club and to sign a long contract with another British club. So now the question is if United are ready to sell him. That is the question. We have to know the answer.”
Rashford’s long-term future at Manchester United remains unresolved, with speculation continuing over a permanent exit.
However, it remains uncertain whether manager Michael Carrick would sanction the forward’s move to a Premier League rival such as Arsenal.
