Even Premier League title winners need to spend big to strengthen their roster. Arsenal are being linked with Morgan Rogers and Ayyoub Bouaddi, who are both starring for their countries at the World Cup. However, neither player would come cheaply.
The Guardian has reported that Arsenal are "hopeful of bringing Rogers to north London, although he could cost up to £100m... The Gunners are also likely to make an approach to sign Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille. The 18-year-old Morocco midfielder is being monitored by Liverpool and could cost around £70m."
Rogers has just had a fantastic season with Aston Villa. He scored 14 goals with 12 assists in 55 games in all competitions. This helped Unai Emery's side win the Europa League and finish fourth in the Premier League.
His form meant that it was often debated that he should be starting ahead of Jude Bellingham for England. However, the Real Madrid star did start against Croatia, with Rogers coming off the bench. It would be bad news for the likes of Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze if Rogers were to join Arsenal. The Villa player is in demand, and there have also been reports that Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern, Chelsea, and Manchester United have been monitoring Rogers too this summer.
Arsenal need to spend their money wisely
Bouaddi has already played 96 times for LOSC Lille. He is one of the most highly rated prospects in soccer and has been linked with other big clubs. PSG, Bayern, and Barcelona are also interested in the player.
The Moroccan is a central midfielder who can also play in a holding role. He could be an understudy to Martin Zubimendi in Arteta's roster. Christian Norgaard barely featured for the Gunners last season, so Bouaddi would be a younger option to the Dane. So far at the World Cup, Bouaddi helped Morocco draw with Brazil before defeating Scotland.
PSG defeated Arsenal in the Champions League final this year. Therefore, winning the race to sign Bouaddi would be a boost for the Gunners. Defending the Premier League title is very important for Arsenal, but they will also be hoping to go one better in the Champions League next season.
The Gunners need to spend their money wisely, as big fees do not guarantee success. After winning the Premier League, Liverpool spent £446 million in total last summer. This included £125 million to Newcastle for Alexander Isak and £116.5 million to Bayer Leverkusen for Florian Wirtz. However, both players flopped, and the Reds had a disappointing campaign. Arne Slot still managed to qualify them for the Champions League, but was quickly replaced by Andoni Iraola.
