Arsenal were interested in a deal before Chelsea won the race (Picture: Getty) Morgan Rogers’ camp asked Arsenal to match Chelsea’s £117m transfer bid as he wanted to move to the Gunners, according to reports. Mikel Arteta identified Rogers as one of his top targets at the start of the summer and Arsenal were believed to be leading the race to secure his signature. The Premier League champions were willing to pay around £80m for Rogers, who was part of Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for this summer’s World Cup. But Chelsea blew their London rivals out of the water with a stunning £117m deal with Aston Villa, making Rogers the most expensive British player in Premier League history. Exclusive Premier League previews Get ahead of the start of the season with our weekly football newsletter. Sign up now for free. Rogers said he was joining the ‘biggest club in London’ after switching Villa Park for Stamford Bridge but the Daily Mail says the England midfielder wanted to join Arsenal. The report adds that the player’s camp urged bosses at the Emirates Stadium to match Chelsea’s record-breaking bid as he was ‘keen’ to bolster Arteta’s title-winning squad. Meanwhile, the Daily Telegraph says Rogers was ‘enthusiastic’ about joining Arteta’s project at Arsenal and was ‘ready to pack his bags’ and move to north London. Chelsea signed Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa (Picture: Getty) Rogers was the first of several summer targets that Arsenal failed to sign during the transfer window. Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez had his heart set on a move to Barcelona, Arsenal refused to pay over the odds for new Liverpool signing Bradley Barcola and Vinicius Junior signed a contract extension at Real Madrid. Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher was surprised Arsenal didn’t push harder to sign two-time Champions League winner Barcola from PSG. Rogers was reportedly keen to join Arsenal (Picture: Getty) ‘I’m happy it didn’t happen but I was looking at the Barcola thing,’ Carragher said on the latest episode of Stick to Football. ‘For me with Arsenal, left wing has always felt like where the drop is compared to [Bukayo] Saka, [Martin] Odegaard, [Kai] Havertz. ‘The new kid [Christos] Tzolis has made a decent start. But the longer the Barcola thing went on, and then Arsenal didn’t get Vinicius Jr or Alvarez, I was thinking is that [signing Barcola] not the one?’ {"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"John Terry singles out act that Alonso did during Brighton game that spells well for Chelsea","contentUrl":"https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2026\/08\/31\/5230901859085403608\/480x270_MP4_5230901859085403608.mp4","description":"He loves to see it.","duration":"T1M","height":480,"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i.dailymail.com\/1s\/2026\/08\/31\/14\/110952603-0-image-a-22_1788181481167.jpg","uploadDate":"2026-08-31T14:03:31+0100","width":270} To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page window.addEventListener('metroVideo:relatedVideosCarouselLoaded', function(data) { if (typeof(data.detail) === 'undefined' || typeof(data.detail.carousel) === 'undefined' || typeof(data.detail.carousel.el_) === 'undefined') { return; } var player = data.detail.carousel.el_; var container = player.closest('.metro-video-player'); var placeholder = container.querySelector('.metro-video-player__up-next-placeholder'); if (placeholder) { container.removeChild(placeholder); container.classList.add('metro-video-player--related-videos-loaded'); } }); Rogers has enjoyed a promising start to his Chelsea career, scoring and providing an assist in the first two Premier League games of the season. After completing a stunning move to west London, the 23-year-old England star said: ‘I’m joining the biggest club in London. ‘The way the club wants to go and how it wants to move forward is something I want to be a part of. I think it was just perfect for me. I just can’t
As fans eagerly anticipate the upcoming match between these giants, fans are left wondering: has Lionel Messi ever faced the Norway international? Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haaland are two of the most prolific goalscorers in modern soccer, yet they have never faced one another for any club or national team. For years, Ronaldo has been the standard-bearer for Portugal, while Haaland has become Norway’s most feared finisher as their careers have run in parallel, but never in the same match. As fans eagerly anticipate the upcoming match between these giants, fans are left wondering: has Lionel Messi ever played against the Norway international? This highly anticipated duel will pit Ronaldo’s remarkable longevity against the explosive power of Haaland. Throughout his illustrious career, the Portuguese forward has showcased his talents at every major European destination he joined. Meanwhile, the Norwegian striker has bullied defenders across the continent with his incredible physical strength and ruthless finishing. The long wait for this monumental encounter will finally end on Sunday, September 27, 2026. The match will take place at the Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo, where the home squad will host the Portuguese roster in a crucial Nations League fixture. A subsequent return meeting is already scheduled for October 4 in Porto, giving fans another chance to witness the spectacle. The Portuguese maestro and the Norwegian sensation have each carved out remarkable careers on the club and international stages. The former has spent years at the pinnacle of European soccer with clubs like Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, and Al-Nassr, while the latter’s meteoric rise has seen him shine at Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City. Despite their prominence, they have surprisingly never played against each other in a competitive fixture. Cristiano Ronaldo (left) and Erling Haaland (right) Their paths have also not crossed on the international stage. Portugal and Norway have met multiple times, but these encounters occurred before Haaland established himself as a senior international star in 2019. This absence of face-to-face competition is even more notable considering how often their names are compared due to their goalscoring prowess and attacking brilliance. Have Messi and Haaland ever crossed paths? With the spotlight shining on this unprecedented European clash, observers naturally wonder about the Argentine legend’s history with the Norwegian powerhouse. In fact, Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland have also never played against each other in an official match. Their paths completely bypassed one another during their respective domestic and continental campaigns. During the height of his European career, the Argentine maestro was securing trophies with his beloved Spanish employers, Barcelona. At the same time, the young Norwegian phenom was busy making a name for himself in Germany and England. The draw for the UEFA Champions League never paired their respective squads together on the pitch. The situation at the international level mirrors their missed connections in domestic leagues. The South American champions Argentina simply never scheduled any friendly or competitive fixtures against the Scandinavian squad during their overlapping active years. As a result, a direct head-to-head battle between these global icons remained entirely elusive. Lionel Messi of Argentina and Erling Haaland of Norway. Furthermore, any hope of an international clash between the Argentine and the Norwegian was recently extinguished. Messi recently announced his retirement from international action, ending an illustrious La Albiceleste career with a record 207 caps and 125 goals. His achievements include winning the 2022 World Cup, but now the possibility of future encounters with Haaland in international tournaments is gone. Could they still meet in the future? Since Messi now plays for Inter Miami in MLS and Haaland remains at Manchester City, their c
The former Arsenal, Barcelona and France star says players shouldn’t underestimate their ability to change how football worksAs Fifa continues to face scrutiny from some confederations and fans, Thierry Henry has encouraged players to use their voice as the political battle for control of international soccer unfolds. The former Arsenal and Barcelona forward turned pundit spoke with the Guardian on Tuesday alongside Kate Scott and Jamie Carragher as CBS and Paramount prepare for this season’s Champions League broadcasts.“For me, the players have more power than they think they have,” Henry said when asked for his thoughts on the situation. “And if they want it to change, they can make it happen – especially nowadays.”This is an extract from Soccer Desk, a newsletter from the Guardian US. Subscribe for free here. Continue reading...
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