Morgan Rogers has a new contract, a rising stock and a manager in Unai Emery who has built his entire Aston Villa system around him.
Recent reports, however, indicate that none of that seems. The Blues are said to have moved from admirers to active pursuers, accelerating and formalising their interest in a deal for the 23-year-old this summer.
It is understood that Chelsea’s new coach, Liam Rosenior, has already given his backing to the pursuit, and the club believe Rogers is worth every penny of the fee Villa are likely to demand.
That fee is expected to break the £100 million barrier, which would surpass Jack Grealish’s £100 million move to Manchester City in 2021 as the most expensive sale in Villa’s history.
Rogers joined Villa from Middlesbrough in January 2024 and has not stopped since. He was the PFA Young Player of the Year last season and has carried that form into this campaign, registering 17 goal contributions in 42 appearances across all competitions.
He signed a new deal in November that runs until 2031, but the contract has done nothing to cool the speculation, and Villa themselves acknowledge privately that a significant outgoing may still be necessary this summer for financial and UEFA compliance reasons.
Chelsea are not alone. Manchester United also hold genuine interest, seeing Rogers as the kind of dynamic attacking midfielder they need. Arsenal have monitored him for over a year.
Despite the competition, Chelsea remains the most determined. Chief Joe Shields, who first brought Rogers to Manchester City as a teenager, is now pushing hard to reunite with him at Stamford Bridge.
