Chelsea are poised to sign Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa for £117m. The attacking midfielder has agreed terms on a six-year contract and is due to undergo a medical on Monday.
- Chelsea moved quickly to land Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa, despite interest from Arsenal.
- Morgan Rogers scored 14 goals and provided 12 assists, key to Aston Villa's European run and assisted Anthony Gordon vs Argentina.
- Signing boosts manager Xabi Alonso's rebuilding plans amid no European football; funds came from sales of Marc Cucurella and Andrey Santos.
- Aston Villa will reinvest proceeds; Morgan Rogers joined from Middlesbrough for a modest fee and became English football's record transfer.
Arsenal were interested in Rogers and made contact with Villa this month but Chelsea have long tracked the 23-year-old’s progress and have moved quickly to land one of Xabi Alonso’s top targets.
The deal is a significant boost for the Spaniard, who was hired as Chelsea’s manager in May. Rogers played an instrumental role in Villa reaching the Champions League and winning the Europa League last season, providing 14 goals and 12 assists in all competitions, and has been a key player for England at the World Cup. He started on the right wing in the semi-final defeat by Argentina and created the opening goal for Anthony Gordon.
Chelsea are looking to rebuild after a disappointing season. They have no European football but Rogers is in line to become their record signing, trumping the £115m paid for Moisés Caicedo in 2023. They bolstered their transfer budget by selling Marc Cucurella to Real Madrid and Andrey Santos to Manchester United.
Further funds could arrive if an offer arrives for Enzo Fernández, who wants to leave. Madrid remain interested in the Argentina midfielder and it is understood Chelsea are tracking the Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton. Chelsea also want to sign the France defender Maxence Lacroix from Palace.
Villa will look to reinvest the money received for Rogers in their squad. They signed Rogers for £7m plus £8m in add-ons from Middlesbrough in January 2024 and he has gone on to become the most expensive English player, the fee beating the £116m Manchester City have paid to sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest.
Villa have sold Youri Tielemans to United and are expected to conclude a deal for Lucas Digne to join Paris Saint-Germain.
Roma have sent an offer of £39m to for Crysencio Summerville. The Netherlands winger has attracted interest from United, Chelsea, Villa and Fulham. It remains to be seen whether the terms are acceptable to West Ham, who have been boosted by Jarrod Bowen committing his future to the club after relegation to the Championship.
