One Arsenal transfer target shines above the rest as the Gunners continue to be linked with a £112million target
Theo Walcott says he would pick Morgan Rogers over any other player when it comes to who Arsenal should sign this summer.
The former Gunners forward is concerned about how well another transfer target, £112 million-rated Bradley Barcola of Paris Saint-Germain, would adapt to the Premier League if brought in, despite his obvious talent.
Mikel Arteta is understood to have prioritised signing a left winger ahead of the 2026/27 season, as the north Londoners look to defend their Premier League crown and go one step further in the Champions League.
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Arteta’s former team-mate Walcott, when asked by football.london which winger he would most like Arsenal to sign, had no doubt about naming Aston Villa’s Rogers. The England international is reportedly keen for a move to the Emirates Stadium, with Arsenal and Villa set to discuss a potential fee.
Walcott said: “I like the idea that we’ll go for someone who’s tried and tested in the Premier League. So I like Morgan Rogers. Is he a left winger? Is he a 10? Will that affect Eze? Either way, Mikel’s a great person to integrate him into the team if he comes.
“And I like players that are in the Premier League then go to a Premier League team, because we know what we’re going to get and he’s going to get better because he’s going to be with better players. No offence to Villa, but he would be if he ends up moving on. And it’s an opportunity to be with the champions, so that in itself is a factor.”
He added: “I’d probably be more inclined to go for Rogers if I was going to pick one. If you had to tie me down, I’d pick Rogers.”
That was after Walcott addressed other left-sided options linked with Arsenal, including Barcola. The Gunners hold concrete interest in the Frenchman, football.london understands, though they are unlikely to match the £112m fee some reports claim PSG could demand.
The 37-year-old said: “Barcola at PSG, I mean he’s outstandingly quick. He would give Gabriel Martinelli a run for his money. So I like him, but then there’s always that factor of can he do the Prem, and the patience element—can you have the patience with these guys? I would have patience with them, it’s just on the outside, will people have patience?
“Yes, he’s a PSG winger, people would expect he’s going to be great, it’s like when Angel Di Maria went to Man United. Yes, there were pockets and moments, but it’s just having that time. You don’t get that time anymore, not even as a manager, although Barcola would be good.
“I like young [Eli Junior] Kroupi at Bournemouth too. I think he’d be an interesting one to keep an eye on. And I’ve always liked [Crysencio[ Summerville as well, and I know he’s had a really good World Cup. I just love the fact he expresses himself. He reminds me of that little kind of Eden Hazard type or maybe like Raheem Sterling, off the left. But I wouldn’t be against any of them [being signed].”
Walcott was speaking from the launch of Amazon Prime Day, running this week until June 26. The campaign is offering Prime members the chance to shop hundreds of thousands of deals across all categories, with deep discounts across top brands including Samsung, Dyson, Oura, Lily’s Kitchen, and OATLY.
To celebrate the start of the event, Amazon invited Walcott to surprise Prime members with some of the first Prime Day deliveries. He joined drivers across London to deliver packages to unsuspecting customers.
The former England international said of his own Amazon Prime Day shopping basket: “I have a guard dog and he goes through constant treats because of all the training, so that’s one thing I will be looking out for. However, there’s another thing I actually will be looking out for. We have these drinks called Dash, it’s like a sparkling flavoured drink can, and they are pretty much any flavour under the sun.
“So we’re going to get a shedload of those. I tell you what, those fridges are going to be filled out, especially in this heat. They’re lovely. In fact, there’s actually some in my basket already. Ready, ready, waiting to go!”
Prime Video UEFA Champions League pundit Theo Walcott makes some speedy Amazon Prime Day deliveries, with hundreds of thousands of deals available for Prime members this week. Prime Day 2026 runs from Tuesday 23rd to Friday 26th June.
