Former Arsenal defender Nacho Monreal has urged his old club to sign Aston Villa winger Morgan Rogers this summer, insisting the 23-year-old has everything needed to solve the Gunners' long-standing problems on the left wing.

Monreal was effusive in his praise for Rogers, who enjoyed a remarkable breakout campaign for Aston Villa last season. The Spaniard believes the young Englishman possesses a rare quality that would make him an immediate asset at the Emirates.

"Morgan Rogers is one of those players that Arsenal should look to sign for whatever price. He's young and he did unbelievably last season for Villa. He's already one of the best players in the league and in the future he's going to continue being that because he's special. He has something very special."

Monreal's message to Arsenal's board

Beyond his Rogers endorsement, Monreal also urged Arsenal to stay the course that made them so formidable last season — particularly their dominance of set pieces, from which they scored over 20 goals.

"I think Arsenal have to continue doing exactly what they did last season. They were the champions. They were the best team in many different areas. Defensively, I think they were the best. In set pieces, they were the best. And if you can get a lot of points from set pieces, you have to continue doing that, don't try and change."

Monreal acknowledged that some supporters grew frustrated with Arsenal's heavy reliance on set-piece goals toward the end of the campaign, but he was dismissive of that criticism. "I know people were at the end of the season a bit annoyed because they scored over 20 goals from set pieces, but this is football," he added.

A costly pursuit

Arsenal are understood to be pushing to bring the homegrown English talent to north London, with club-to-club talks expected to gather pace following the conclusion of the World Cup. However, prising Rogers away from Aston Villa is unlikely to come cheap — reports suggest a transfer fee of up to £100 million could be required to secure his signature.