Arsenal have made checks on Yan Diomande over the last few days, but the interest makes more sense as a response to losing Morgan Rogers to Chelsea. Fabrizio Romano said the Gunners wanted to see whether there was still a chance to enter the deal, after Chelsea agreed a £117 million move with Aston Villa for Rogers. Paris Saint Germain still have the stronger hand, with personal terms agreed and talks already open with RB Leipzig.

Arsenal's pivot after Rogers

Romano was blunt about the scale of the miss. "We have to be very attentive to Arsenal now because losing Morgan Rogers is a big blow, it's the reality, he's the player they wanted, their number-one target and so they were pushing to get the deal done," he said. He also said Arsenal's checks with Diomande's agents were designed to find out if there was still a way into the race. That is the kind of late pivot clubs make when their first choice slips away.

The wider picture fits that reading. Arsenal finished 1st in the Premier League in 2025, so they are operating like a club trying to stay ahead of the market. Chelsea finished 10th in the Premier League in 2025, which makes the £117 million Rogers deal a very different kind of statement from Arsenal's more cautious approach.

PSG still lead the chase

Diomande's situation is not open-ended. Romano said: "But don't forget Diomande has an agreement on personal terms with Paris Saint-Germain, and Paris Saint-Germain are in negotiations with Leipzig." That puts PSG in front for now, even if the race is not over.

Liverpool also remain in the mix, and earlier reports said their €100 million (£85m) bid for Diomande was rejected. Leipzig are also said to be demanding around €120 million (£102m), which helps explain why this is shaping up as a crowded and expensive chase. It is hard to see Arsenal rushing into that kind of battle after missing out on Rogers, especially with PSG already moving and Liverpool still hovering.

The fair read is that Arsenal are exploring their next option, not announcing their winner. Diomande is still at RB Leipzig, PSG are in negotiations, and Arsenal have only checked on the possibility of entering the deal. The next clear marker is whether Leipzig speak again, or whether the market moves on without Arsenal making a real bid.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →