Arsenal Targets Antonio Nusa and Morgan Rogers for Left Flank Reinforcement

Arsenal’s summer rebuild is gathering speed, and Mikel Arteta has fixed his gaze firmly on the left flank.

Leandro Trossard has gone, Gabriel Martinelli stands alone as the only natural option on that side, and with a Premier League title to defend, Arsenal cannot afford to leave that channel understaffed. The response from the Emirates hierarchy has been swift: push hard for one of Europe’s most exciting young wingers and keep another firmly in their sights.

Arsenal move on Nusa – and into Liverpool’s lane

Arsenal are preparing an opening bid of around €40 million (£34 million) for RB Leipzig’s Antonio Nusa, a move that drags them directly into a transfer battle with Liverpool.

Nusa’s stock has rocketed since the 2026 World Cup. The 21-year-old Norway international lit up the tournament, driving his country to the quarter-finals and scoring a brilliant solo goal against Ivory Coast that underlined exactly why Europe’s elite have been circling. Pace, swagger, and a fearlessness in tight spaces – the kind of attributes that change games and unsettle defenders.

Leipzig know what they have. Reports in Germany put their valuation closer to €60 million (£52 million), a sizeable gap that will test Arsenal’s resolve and negotiation skills. Liverpool, who have also tracked Nusa closely, see him as a more attainable option after their move for another Leipzig talent, Yan Diomande, collapsed. Now they may find themselves squeezed by a direct domestic rival willing to go just as hard for the same player.

This is no quiet scouting mission. It’s a straight fight.

Life after Trossard: Arteta’s left-wing dilemma

Trossard’s move to Besiktas has done more than free up a squad slot. It has stripped Arteta of his only experienced alternative to Martinelli on the left. One injury, one dip in form, and the champions are suddenly thin in a key attacking area.

Arteta wants variety as much as depth. Nusa offers exactly that. He is not a like-for-like replacement for Trossard; he is something far more direct. Explosive acceleration. Relentless dribbling. A willingness to take on full-backs one-on-one rather than recycle possession. In a side that already boasts control and structure, that injection of chaos could be priceless.

At 21, he is also a long-term project. A player who can grow with this Arsenal side rather than simply plug a short-term gap. But the club’s plans do not stop with him.

Why Nusa doesn’t end the Morgan Rogers chase

Even if Arsenal land Nusa, their interest in Morgan Rogers should not disappear. It can’t, not if they are serious about building a squad that can sustain a title defence and challenge deep in Europe.

Rogers brings something Nusa does not yet have: Premier League experience. The Aston Villa attacker has already shown he can handle the pace and physicality of the division, and his versatility is a manager’s dream. He can operate from the left, drift inside, or play centrally behind the striker, giving Arteta different shapes and patterns without needing wholesale changes.

In an ideal scenario for Arsenal, both deals get done. Rogers would be the ready-made option, capable of stepping straight into the starting XI and raising the technical level around the box. Nusa would arrive as the high-ceiling wildcard, pushing Martinelli, learning the demands of Arteta’s system, and threatening to explode into one of Europe’s most dangerous wide forwards over the next few seasons.

That is the vision: two different profiles, one shared purpose – to keep Arsenal’s attack sharp, unpredictable and relentless.

Depth for a title defence

Arsenal are not building for a single competition. They are building for a season that will stretch them across the Premier League, Champions League, and domestic cups. The margin for error shrinks when you are the team everyone wants to beat.

Arteta knows he cannot go into that fight with just one established left winger and a handful of makeshift options. He needs real competition, real rotation, and the ability to change games from the bench without weakening his side.

Securing Nusa and maintaining the push for Rogers would do exactly that. It would turn a potential problem area into one of Arsenal’s greatest strengths and send a clear message to both the dressing room and the rest of the league: the champions are not standing still.