Carlton Cole has stated that Chelsea's summer signing Morgan Rogers 'messed up' Arsenal's transfer window by choosing to join the Blues from Aston Villa in a record-breaking £117 million deal. The 24-year-old, who was heavily linked with Arsenal earlier in the summer and during England's World Cup campaign, was identified by Mikel Arteta as a top target to bolster a squad that won the Premier League and reached the Champions League final last season.
Record transfer disrupts Arsenal's plans
Arsenal were believed to be leading the race to sign Rogers, but Chelsea swooped in with an incredible £117 million deal, making the West Brom academy graduate the most expensive British player in history. According to Cole, this move 'messed up' Arsenal's transfer window, as the Gunners now need to secure another attacking midfielder who can play on the left. Arteta is a known admirer of Bradley Barcola, but Arsenal are currently behind Liverpool in that transfer race, as they are reluctant to meet PSG's £140 million asking price.
'Arsenal's squad depth is something else,' West Ham hero and former Chelsea star Cole said on the Dressing Room podcast. 'Bruno Guimaraes has come in – he's a brilliant player – and I still think they probably want one more signing before the window shuts. I know they're still trying to do a little bit of business. I think they need another left-sided forward, they're obvious in the running to sign Barcola – they need someone like that.'
Why Morgan Rogers chose Chelsea
'I think it was supposed to Morgan Rogers, he was supposed to go there, but he opted for Chelsea which messed up Arsenal because I think it was nearly done before Chelsea swooped in and he agreed to go there,' Cole added. At his Chelsea unveiling, Rogers said: 'I'm joining the biggest club in London. The way the club wants to go and how it wants to move forward, it is something that I want to be a part of and I think it was just perfect for me. I'm really excited about the project with the new manager, the players we've got and where the club is heading. That's why I'm here and I can't wait to get started.'
Cole also commented on Barcola's situation: 'I've heard that Barcola would prefer to go to Arsenal than Liverpool but Arsenal won't pay the fee that's required for him. Liverpool would still be a great place for him to flourish.'
Premier League title prediction
While Cole believes Arsenal could do with securing one more major signing before the transfer deadline, he expects the Gunners to retain their Premier League crown. Arteta's side won the title by seven points last season and secured a statement 3-0 win over Manchester City in Sunday's Community Shield. 'I'm going to go with Arsenal to win the league ahead of Chelsea and Man City,' Cole said. 'Arsenal have the best squad and if they get Victor Osimhen in as well they're going to be flying. He will be up there for the Golden Boot if he goes to Arsenal. But I think they're still alright with what they've got at the moment. They just need to sort out that left-hand side.'
Cole also assessed Chelsea's prospects: 'Chelsea are an interesting one because they've got no European games, they haven't got the Saturday-Tuesday fixture pill-up. Xabi Alonso at the helm as well, he knows how to win games, he proved that at Bayer Leverkusen. I just think that squad is very, very strong considering that don't need to worry about European games. I've put Man City third, I think they will find it tough without Pep Guardiola and Rodri, they're going to find it hard.'
