Arsenal add Morgan Gibbs-White to transfer shortlist as Mikel Arteta looks to strengthen Premier League champions' attack

Fresh from ending a 22-year drought to secure the Premier League trophy, Arteta is wasting no time in planning for Arsenal's title defence. The Gunners boss has identified Aston Villa's Rogers as a priority target, with the club regarding the 23-year-old as a potential major statement signing this summer.

Arteta is reportedly taking personal control of the recruitment strategy, believing Rogers' versatility across the front line makes him the ideal fit for his tactical system. However, a move will not be cheap, as Villa are expected to hold out for a fee that could eventually rise toward the £100 million mark following his impressive domestic and European form.

Should a move for Rogers prove too difficult, reports from SunSport indicate that Arsenal have identified Gibbs-White as a serious alternative. The Forest captain enjoyed a sensational individual campaign, netting 18 goals across all competitions and helping lead his side to the Europa League semi-finals, where they ultimately fell to Rogers' Aston Villa.

His tally of 15 Premier League goals made him the second highest-scoring Englishman in the division, behind only Villa's Ollie Watkins. Despite his club success, Gibbs-White suffered heartbreak on the international stage after being overlooked by Thomas Tuchel for England's World Cup squad. The playmaker expressed his frustration, stating: “I know myself that I have done more than enough to be in the squad. I got on the wrong side of someone’s opinion.”

Arsenal are not the only European heavyweight monitoring these situations. Paris Saint-Germain, who recently defeated the Gunners on penalties in the Champions League final, are also keeping tabs on Rogers. Meanwhile, Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis remains determined to keep his best players at the City Ground after persuading Gibbs-White to sign a long-term deal through 2028.

The situation is further complicated by interest in anoother Forest star. Elliot Anderson is the subject of widespread transfer speculation, with Manchester City and Manchester United linked to the £100m-rated midfielder. Forest boss Vítor Pereira has admitted that while he wants to keep his core squad, he said the "market is the market."

While transfer talk dominates the headlines, Tuchel has been forced to defend his decision to leave Gibbs-White at home for the summer. The German tactician insisted that his choices were based on tactical balance rather than individual statistics or previous reputations, which also saw stars like Phil Foden and Cole Palmer miss the cut.

The German tactician explained his reasoning by stating: “Does this mean that the other guys that you mentioned did anything wrong? No. For some of them, it's just a positional thing that we also tried to have a balanced squad and not to bring five number 10s and make them play out of position because whom would we do a favour with? The player or ourselves? I don't think so.” For Gibbs-White, a potential move to the Emirates could be the perfect way to prove the England boss wrong.