Aston Villa are ready to make every effort to retain Morgan Rogers despite strong transfer interest from Arsenal as rival clubs line-up to land the England playmaker
Morgan Rogers has been a leading light for Aston Villa
Morgan Rogers has been a leading light for Aston Villa(Image: Alex Livesey - AVFC/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images))
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Aston Villa are determined to fend off interest in Morgan Rogers with Arsenal among those eyeing the talented playmaker.
Rogers has just enjoyed his best season to date, which finished with him scoring in his side's Europa League final victory. Villa also secured fourth spot, with the England star coming up with 10 goals in 37 Premier League appearances.
As a result, interest in Rogers has been on the rise and a number of Villa's rivals are now keen to land him, with Arsenal among the most prominent of those.
Unai Emery's side, who are readying for a return to the Champions League, want to keep one of their star performers at the club, The Telegraph reports. However, a major offer, even from a domestic rival, could still see the leading lights at Villa Park consider their next move. If Rogers was to leave Villa it would likely take a club-record fee in order for the Midlands outfit to agree to a sale.
The finances of any potential move for Rogers could be complicated by the fact that Middlesbrough, his former club, have a 20 per cent sell-on clause. Rogers joined Villa from the Championship outfit in 2024 in a deal worth an initial £8m, and up to £15m with add-ons.
Even during Emery's era, which has been the most successful of the modern era, the club have still sold first-team players for sizeable fees. The likes of Jhon Duran, Moussa Diaby, Douglas Luiz and Jacob Ramsey have been moved on in recent years.
The Spaniard, off the back of claiming a fifth Europa League as a manager, will have as much power as he's ever had during his tenure and will want to build off the back of this season's success. Emery is preparing for his second Champions League season with Villa, making the last eight back in 2025.
Unai Emery will be desperate to retain his best players
Unai Emery will be desperate to retain his best players(Image: AVFC/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images)
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Arsenal’s co-chair Josh Kroenke underlined the Gunners summer plan last month as he said: “We are going to look to strengthen because we know that teams around us are going to get better. If you are not trying to continually evolve and improve, you are standing still.”
Arsenal are keen to bolster their attacking options, with Saturday's Champions League final loss exposing their shortcomings in the final third. The Gunners already have a strong English contingent with Arteta’s side sending Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke.
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