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Arsenal have reportedly placed Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White on their summer transfer shortlist, with Mikel Arteta keen to add top-tier attacking depth to his Premier League-winning squad. The Spanish manager is eager to build on the club’s recent domestic success and views the 26-year-old as an impressive alternative to main target Morgan Rogers.

Arteta sees Rogers as a marquee signing

Fresh from guiding Arsenal to their first Premier League title in 22 years, Arteta is already shaping plans to defend the crown. The Gunners boss has identified Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers as a key priority, considering the 23-year-old attacker a potential headline acquisition in the upcoming transfer window.

Arteta is said to be personally overseeing the recruitment process, convinced that Rogers’ ability to play across multiple attacking roles makes him a perfect fit for Arsenal’s fluid system. However, the deal is expected to be expensive, with Aston Villa likely to demand a fee approaching £100 million, reflecting the forward’s outstanding performances both domestically and in Europe.

Gibbs-White emerges as major backup option

If Arsenal fail to land Rogers, reports from SunSport suggest that the club will turn their focus to Gibbs-White as a serious alternative. The Forest captain enjoyed a standout season, scoring 18 goals in all competitions and leading his team to the Europa League semi-finals, where they were eventually defeated by Rogers’ Aston Villa.

Gibbs-White’s 15 Premier League goals made him the second-highest scoring Englishman in the league, trailing only Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins. Despite his impressive club form, the midfielder faced disappointment internationally after being left out of England’s World Cup squad by coach Thomas Tuchel. Expressing his frustration, Gibbs-White said, “I know I’ve done more than enough to be in the squad. I just happened to be on the wrong side of someone’s opinion.”

Arsenal face competition from PSG and resistance from Forest

The North London club may not have an easy path in their pursuit, as Paris Saint-Germain are also closely following Rogers’ situation. The French champions, who recently beat Arsenal on penalties in the Champions League final, are reportedly interested in strengthening their own attacking options. Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis remains firm in his stance to retain his key players, having already secured Gibbs-White on a contract running until 2028.

Further complicating matters, another Forest player, Elliot Anderson, has attracted attention from Manchester City and Manchester United, with both clubs linked to a potential £100 million move. Forest manager Vítor Pereira admitted he hopes to keep his squad intact but acknowledged, “The market is the market.”

Tuchel defends his selection decisions

Amid the transfer speculation, England boss Thomas Tuchel has faced criticism for omitting Gibbs-White from his summer squad. The German coach defended his choices, explaining they were made to maintain tactical balance rather than reward individual statistics or reputations — decisions that also left out players like Phil Foden and Cole Palmer.

Tuchel elaborated on his reasoning, saying, “Does that mean the others did anything wrong? No. It’s more about positional balance. We didn’t want to bring five number 10s and force them to play out of position — that benefits no one, neither the team nor the players.” For Gibbs-White, a move to Arsenal could offer the perfect platform to prove his critics wrong and reassert his international credentials.