Arsenal news: Gunners move for £94m Morgan Rogers alternative as transfer announcement made

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Arsenal are finally accelerating their transfer activity as they look to lay down a marker in an uninspired summer window until now. Mikel Arteta , having guided the Gunners to a long-awaited Premier League triumph and the Champions League final, insisted that top quality new signings were required at the end of last season.

So far, sporting director Andrea Berta has under-delivered on that promise despite reportedly being handed a gargantuan transfer budget potentially exceeding £250million. Arsenal’s first official signing was making Piero Hincapie’s move a permanent one last month.

They followed that up by confirming the arrival of back-up goalkeeper Illan Meslier. However, the Gunners are still yet to upgrade in several key positions, including defence, central-midfield and left-wing.

Failed pursuits of several long-term targets, including Jeremy Monga and Morgan Rogers , have done little to alleviate concerns among fans, with the pair joining rivals Manchester City and Chelsea respectively.

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On the sales front, Berta still hasn’t found clubs for several players who are surplus to requirements at the Emirates Stadium. However, Mirror Football now takes a look at two promising transfer updates involving the north London club.

Arsenal have announced the signing of Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge. The 24-year-old Greece international has penned a five-year deal following his £34m transfer to north London.

Tzolis faced Arsenal during their Champions League league phase clash with Brugge last season. While he didn’t score on that occasion, the winger managed an incredible 51 goal involvements in 52 appearances for the side over the course of the season.

He will wear the No.17 shirt and is seen as a long-term replacement for Leandro Trossard, who joined Besiktas last week. "It's absolutely amazing to sign for such a big club, the champions of England. I'm very proud to be part of this team for the next season," the winger said.

"When my agent was saying maybe it was a possibility, I was already excited. Afterwards it was getting more serious and now I'm here. I had a nice conversation [with Mikel Arteta]. It was around an hour. We talked about everything, about the club, about myself, about his plans, about me of course, about the team. It was only positive things."

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Arsenal are reportedly eyeing Yan Diomande as an alternative to Rogers after missing out on the England star. The Gunners’ need for a marquee left-wing signing remains at the top of their agenda, with a move for RB Leipzig ace Diomande now being considered.

football.london reports that Arsenal have made an enquiry for the 19-year-old sensation, who impressed at the World Cup with his dazzling displays for Ivory Coast. The report states the English champions have voiced their desire to be kept informed of the conditions surrounding the Ivorian.

Arsenal valued Rogers at around £80m but fell short of Aston Villa’s valuation of the midfielder, which led to them losing out on his signature to Chelsea, who instead completed the deal for £117m. Diomande is expected to cost around £94m this summer, with Liverpool already seeing an £85m bid for the player rejected.