At a Glance:
- Pep Guardiola explained why Manchester City sold Arsenal target Morgan Rogers.
- Mikel Arteta wants to sign Rogers.
- Rogers admitted his problems at Manchester City.
Aston Villa attacker Morgan Rogers seems to have emerged as a transfer target for Arsenal in the summer.
Mikel Arteta is keen on signing Rogers, who Villa value as an £80 million player.
Despite Arteta revealing he admires Eberechi Eze’s personality and the 27-year-old gradually finding his feet at the Emirates Stadium, it seems like the Spaniard fancies signing another number 10 in the summer.
Rogers has reveled playing behind the striker and even on the left-wing. However, several Gunners supporters must be wondering why Pep Guardiola let him leave Manchester City in the first place.
Pep Guardiola revealed Man City sold Morgan Rogers because of squad competition
In December 2024, Sky Sports spoke to Guardiola about Rogers’ sale to Middlesbrough before he eventually joined Aston Villa. The Catalan claimed that Arsenal target Rogers, who Arsenal have seriously admired since April was simply the victim of Manchester City having too many elite attackers.
“I think everybody knows how good he is. Morgan and a lot of players that [we] loaned or sold by the club that were at that age at that moment where we had the players that we had that allowed us to create the more successful years in our club’s history.
Pep Guardiola named six stalwarts in particular whose presence effectively gave Rogers no chance to become a first-team player at Manchester City.
- Kevin De Bruyne
- David Silva
- Bernardo Silva
- Riyad Mahrez
- Leroy Sane
- Raheem Sterling
“In that players, when they [talented youngsters like Rogers] arrive, they are sometimes two, three years younger and there is Kevin in his prime and David Silva and Bernardo and Riyad and Leroy and Raheem [Sterling] and sometimes, it’s difficult.”
With Rogers also attracting interest from Chelsea alongside Arsenal, both clubs would be pleased to know that Pep Guardiola admitted he would have loved to have the Englishman on his books at the time.
“It’s the only reason why. In the situation right, of course, these type of players will be with us, that is obvious but it was not in the right moment, that’s what happened.”
Morgan Rogers admitted he wasn’t good enough for Man City
Rogers was an up-and-coming young prospect when Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side took a look at him while now, the Arsenal target is one of the most dangerous attackers in the Premier League.
However, in March 2025, the Europa League winner admitted himself that at the time, he was simply not at the level for City.
Rogers told ITV Sport: “I wasn’t good enough. Simple as that. I wasn’t ready, I wasn’t ready to be there, I wasn’t myself, I wasn’t the person that they signed in terms of what they expected me to go on and be.
“It wasn’t the right player at the right time, for me and the club.”
Whether Rogers is good enough for Arsenal is a decision that lies in the hands of sporting director Andrea Berta.
