Darren Bent urges Arsenal to sign a traditional left winger rather than Morgan Rogers | OneFootball

Former Premier League striker turned talkSPORT pundit Darren Bent has urged Arsenal to explore other alternatives other than Morgan Rogers in their search for a left winger.

The Gunners are looking to reinforce their attacking options this summer and have prioritised the left flank. So far, they’ve identified Rogers as their primary target.

While Aston Villa have made it clear that the England international isn’t on the market this summer, Arsenal are still not pulling their punches.

There hasn’t been any official contact between the two clubs, as Arsenal are still exploring several options, but Rogers is believed to be at the top of their summer wishlist.

However, Bent believes they’ll be better off looking past the Villa forward, going as far as suggesting they turn their attention to Manchester United ace Marcus Rashford.

“I love Morgan Rogers, I think he’s top,” Bent said on talkSPORT. 

“But I’m not quite sure he’d have been the first I’d have gone after. In terms of that kind of profile of player, you’ve got [Martin] Odegaard, you’ve got [Eberechi] Eze.

“I think you need an out-and-out wide left player, that would have been my first priority, which is why I thought you’d have said Rashford because he would be my number one choice.

“I’m not going to turn my nose up at Rogers, he’s top. But I’d rather Arsenal sign a recognised left winger, as opposed to someone that can play out there.”

Rogers was a standout player for Villa last season, helping the Lions qualify for the Champions League and win the Europa League with 14 goals and 12 assists in 55 games. 

However, Arsenal have also been strongly linked with a move for Bradley Barcola, who is expected to leave Paris Saint-Germain this summer.

Interestingly, Bent believes Barcola would be a better signing for Arsenal than Rogers.

“If I had a choice to sign someone, it’d be Bradley Barcola first, then Rashford,” he added. “I’ll then aim for Rogers because he’s a very good player. But I think they need to address that left side first.”