Arsenal are interested in signing several big names in the summer transfer window
Ray Parler gives his thumbs up to Arsenal’s signing of Morgan Rodgers (Image: Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
Manager Ray Parlor has given Arsenal his stamp of approval to sign Morgan Rodgers and Eli Junior Crupi for a total expected transfer fee of £170m. The Gunners could spend close to last year’s record £250m this summer to defend their Premier League title.
Manager Mikel Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta are thought to have prioritized signing a left-winger, but are also interested in a second striker. Bournemouth’s Crupi, who won the title for Arsenal with his goal against Manchester City last month, is an Arsenal international and his transfer fee is said to be around £86 million, according to various reports.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa’s Rodgers is understood to be one of the first names on Arteta’s wishlist, given his ferocious running, dribbling and versatility to play both on the left wing and in central midfield. Gunners legend Parlor believes the English champions will pay for themselves by signing Rodgers in the transfer window, with Villa reportedly demanding £80m to part ways with the 23-year-old.
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Parler spoke exclusively to Mirror Football at the launch of E.ON Next’s World Cup ‘Watch and Wash’ campaign. “Crupi is a very talented player, there’s no doubt about that. He’s a young player and Mikel Arteta knows he can make players even better from a young age, so it would be a good signing.”
Shifting his attention to Rodgers, Parlor gushed about Villa’s talisman, but acknowledged how his arrival could disrupt the harmony in the squad that Arteta has so intricately built. That’s because Rodgers will essentially be spending the majority of his minutes on the left flank of Trossard and Martinelli, or his mixed form in recent years will help them sell.
The former Invincible said: “I think Rodgers is a great player. He can also play on the left side. I think we need a player on the left side.”
“We don’t know what will happen with Trossard or Martinelli, but Rodgers could also play a number 10 role. He’s been doing great for Aston Villa and I’ll be interested to see how Rodgers does for England at the World Cup.”
Eli Junior Crupi’s transfer fee is around £86 million (Image: Getty Images)
Parlor recently launched ‘Watch and Wash’ in collaboration with E.ON, alongside England icons Jermain Defoe and Toni Duggan. The trio is encouraging soccer fans to do their laundry and save money during night games this summer, when 8 million fans set their alarms for key World Cup matches. Switching to a time-based rate plan will reduce your electricity bill during off-peak hours.
To help spread the word, the three legends returned to their training kits to take part in a series of three laundry-themed football challenges – Top Laundry Bin, Smart Energy Shoot Out and Spin and Score – to explain how fans can collectively save more than £93 million on their bills by using off-peak electricity with Next Smart Saver.
Toni Duggan, Jermain Defoe and Ray Parler team up to launch ‘Watch and Wash’ with E.ON Next (Image: E.ON Next)
Mr Parler said: “What E.On is trying to do is encourage people to watch the game and do their laundry. Many games are played late at night or early in the morning, so electricity bills are cheaper at night. People will wake up early for the England game anyway, and I’m sure I will too, so they’ll have the opportunity to do their laundry while they’re watching the football, which will save them money.”
“The cost of living is going up, so I can help you just a little bit. I wake up and go to the game. Why don’t you try drying your laundry early in the morning or late at night? You can also save a little on your electricity bill.”
This summer, E.ON Next is encouraging people to get their laundry done in the evening while they’re awake and watching soccer to take advantage of lower off-peak electricity prices. A new ‘Watch and Wash’ campaign is launched this summer after it was revealed that people could save a total of £93 million by washing and watching on Next Smart Saver rates.
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