The latest transfer news as Aston Villa respond boldly to Chelsea and Liverpool interest.
Aston Villa’s stance on Morgan Rogers is clear amid interest from Chelsea and Liverpool ahead of the summer transfer window.
The Villans must make a significant sale this summer to comply with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR), but Rogers isn’t in line to be sacrificed. Head coach Unai Emery sees the attacking midfielder, who has played the second-most minutes out of any Villa player this season behind Youri Tielemans, as untouchable.
The Telegraph reports Villa are unwilling to sell Rogers “at any price”, with club officials now valuing the 22-year-old at around £100 million. Chelsea are said to be huge admirers of Rogers, and the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal have been linked in recent months, but Villa won’t be letting their number 27 depart anytime soon.
Signed from Middlesbrough for around £15 million in January 2024, Rogers has quickly established himself as one of the Premier League’s brightest prospects. The new England international started his Villa career brightly with three goals and one assist in 14 games during the second half of 2023/24, but he’s soared to another level this season with 14 goals and 14 assists in 53 appearances across all competitions.
There aren’t many players in world football - let alone just the Premier League - who can change a game in an instant as well as Rogers. The versatile attacking midfielder is so powerful when he drives forward with the ball, able to drift past defenders while simultaneously nudging away anybody contending him for possession.
Rogers is absolutely perfect for Emery’s system as the head coach loves his players powering through central areas of the field before finding passes through the lines. Beating the first line of an opposition’s press is vital to Villa creating space in behind and Rogers does that so well, often dribbling past midfielders before taking on defenders in the final third.
He’s been heavily involved in Villa’s direct goalscoring output, too, with only Ollie Watkins - who has 17 goals - scoring more than Rogers in 2024/25. There’s no wonder that Rogers won Villa’s Young Player of the Season award and it appears the only way is up for the former West Bromwich Albion and Manchester City man.
Which players might Aston Villa sell to end their PSR worries?
Villa’s best way of making a quick buck is to sell one or several of their first-team players. One potential sacrifice could be attacking midfielder Emiliano Buendia, who is currently on loan at Bayer Leverkusen with an option to buy for £17 million. The Bundesliga club are unlikely to activate the clause, however, so Villa could seek interest from alternative parties.
One player loaned out who will be sold is Kosta Nedeljkovic. The Serbian right-back joined RB Leipzig in the winter with an option to buy for £12 million. Unlike Leverkusen with Buendia, Leipzig are expected to go ahead with the deal.
To rake in a little more cash, Villa could turn to selling Enzo Barrenechea. The defensive midfielder is seen as a potential rotation option for Emery next season but with Valencia interested in making his loan deal permanent, Villa could be tempted to sell.
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