Enzo Maresca and Unai EmeryEnzo Maresca and Unai Emery
Enzo Maresca and Unai Emery | Getty Images
Chelsea and Aston Villa have the opportunity to bring in more quality this summer
Chelsea and Aston Villa are both fighting it out for a place in the Champions League at the moment. Premier League clubs all have four fixtures left to play and although the title race and relegation battle are sorted, the race for the top five remains uncertain. Nottingham Forest’s loss to Brentford on Thursday night has changed the landscape even more.
Enzo Maresca was picked as Mauricio Pochettino’s replacement last summer after catching the eye at Leicester City, a side who he helped achieve promotion in the 2023/24 Championship campaign. He has since won 30 of his 55 games in charge of Chelsea in all competitions. As for Emery, he has worked wonders since his switch to Villa Park back in November 2022 and he has won 54% of matches at the helm.
Chelsea eye ambitious swoop for Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers
Eyebrows were raised when Aston Villa signed Morgan Rogers from Middlesbrough back in February 2024. Prior to his move to the Midlands, he hadn’t exactly set the world alight in the Championship and had only scored two goals in 26 league games for Boro under Michael Carrick. However, he was identified as a player with potential and he has more than exceeded expectations.
If Villa were to sell him anytime soon, they would likely make a hefty profit. According to the Express, he has emerged on the radar of Chelsea and is a ‘top target’ ahead of the next transfer window. The Blues could see him as someone to boost their attacking department.
Rogers, 22, is close pals with Cole Palmer as the pair rose up through the ranks at Manchester City together. Indeed, they both perform the trademark ‘cold’ celebration after scoring a goal. The England international, who has four caps to his name, could now link up with his buddy later this year if the speculation is true. He still has plenty of time left on his contract with Villa though and they will be desperate to keep hold of him.
The Halesowen-born man played for West Brom before City came calling. He never made a senior appearance during his time at the Etihad Stadium though and was shipped out on loan to Lincoln City, AFC Bournemouth and Blackpool to get some experience before joining Middlesbrough permanently.
Aston Villa’s gamble on him has worked out massively for both the club and the player. He is one of the most promising talents in the country now. He has scored 17 goals in 66 games, 14 of which have come this term.
Aston Villa and Chelsea swap deal with Axel Disasi touted
The Express’ report adds that Chelsea would be prepared to offer Axel Disasi as part of a ‘swap’ deal plus cash for Rogers. Although Aston Villa will be reluctant to lose a player of Rogers’ quality, getting a player in return as well as some serious money would help soften the blow. Disasi has been on loan with them since the January transfer window.
They moved to land the defender this past winter to add some cover to their defensive department. He was given the green light to leave his parent club to get some more game time. The 27-year-old has fallen out of favour in London and has seen his opportunities dry up.
Maresca will probably seek to offload him full-time if he can. That would help free up space and funds in his ranks to pave the way for new arrivals. It could also help the individual lay down some roots somewhere else and kick on with the rest of his career.
Disasi provides Aston Villa with another option to pick from at the back. He can at either centre-back and right-back if needed which means he can plug different gaps. The Frenchman isn’t a regular starter but if they are in Europe again, they need as many bodies as possible to deal with the workload.
The Paris FC academy graduate rocked up in England back in 2023 after catching the eye in Ligue 1 with both Stade de Reims and AS Monaco. He struggled for consistency with Chelsea though, hence why he was loaned out. If the Blues are to try and snatch Rogers away from their league rivals, giving them Disasi as part of the agreement would suit everyone involved and would be sensible.
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