Ray Parlour has approved Arsenal’s moves for Morgan Rogers and Eli Junior Kroupi for an expected combined fee of £170million. The Gunners could invest close to their record £250m expenditure from last year this summer as they seek to retain their Premier League crown.
Manager Mikel Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta are understood to be making a left winger their top priority, while a second striker is also under consideration. Bournemouth’s Kroupi, who netted the goal against Manchester City that delivered Arsenal the title last month, fits the latter profile and would cost approximately £86m.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa’s Rogers is believed to be amongst the first names on Arteta’s wishlist, given his explosive running power, dribbling ability and versatility, with the capacity to operate both on the left flank and in central midfield.
Gunners legend Parlour believes the English champions would secure value for money by acquiring Rogers in the transfer window, with Villa reportedly insisting on £80m to relinquish the 23-year-old.
Parlour told The Mirror: “Kroupi’s a very good, talented player, there’s no doubt about that. He’s a young player, and you know Mikel Arteta can make players even better when they’re young, so that would be a good signing.”
Turning his attention to Rogers, Parlour spoke highly of the Villa talisman while acknowledging that his arrival could unsettle the squad harmony Arteta has so carefully cultivated. Rogers would largely eat into the playing time of both Trossard and Martinelli on the left flank, or potentially trigger their departures entirely, given their inconsistent form in recent seasons.
The former Invincible said: “I think Rogers is a fantastic player. He can play off the left-hand side as well. I think we need someone off the left.
“I don’t know what will happen with Trossard or Martinelli, but Rogers can play in the No. 10 role as well, which he’s done very well at Aston Villa. I’m interested to see where Rogers plays for England at the World Cup.”
Parlour, alongside England legends Jermain Defoe and Toni Duggan, has recently joined forces with E.ON for the launch of ‘Watch and Wash’. The trio are urging football supporters to cut their energy bills by running their washing machines during this summer’s late-night fixtures, with 8million fans expected to be setting their alarms for crucial World Cup matches.
Switching to a time-of-use tariff can provide significantly lower electricity costs during off-peak periods. To help raise awareness, the three legends donned their training kit once more and participated in a series of three laundry-themed football challenges – Top Washing Bins, The Smart Energy Shoot Out and Spin and Score – to demonstrate how supporters could collectively save more than £93m on their bills through off-peak electricity usage with Next Smart Saver.