Chelsea look set to sign the Aston Villa man having hijacked Arsenal's interest.
Morgan Rogers during the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final match between England and Argentina.
Aston Villa have reached a British record agreement with Chelsea for Morgan Rogers. (Image: Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)
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Aston Villa have reached a verbal agreement with Chelsea for the transfer of Morgan Rogers. Reports state that Villa have accepted a £117million offer from the Blues, amid interest from Premier League champions Arsenal.
BirminghamLive understand that the deal agreed will see Chelsea pay a British record fee for the England international. beating the £116 million paid by Man City to secure the signing of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest earlier in the window.
Arsenal had been heavily linked with an interest in Rogers, but it is reported that the midfielder has opted to join Chelsea ahead of the Gunners. New manager Xabi Alonso is said to have played a crucial role in convincing the 23-year-old, who is set to sign a six-year contract with the option of another year.
Rogers is set to undergo a medical on Monday, with the deal representing a setback for Arsenal, who had identified the Villa and England star as one of their transfer priorities. It was reported on Saturday that the Gunners were becoming increasingly confident of securing the former Middlesbrough man following a 'major breakthrough' in negotiations.
Alonso and the appeal of the Stamford Bridge project have been key factors in influencing his decision. Rogers is on international duty with England at the World Cup and could feature in the Three Lions' third-place playoff against France on Saturday (10pm kick-off).
He has been an influential figure in Thomas Tuchel's squad throughout the North American tournament, appearing in all but one of their seven matches to date. Rogers delivered an assist for Anthony Gordon's opener during Wednesday's semi-final defeat to Argentina, as the defending champions mounted a comeback.
Rogers' future has become a major talking point heading into the summer following his crucial contribution to Unai Emery's squad, as they secured Champions League qualification and ended their European trophy drought by claiming the Europa League title with a dominant victory over Freiburg.
Villa won't see all of the fee for Rogers, with his former club, Middlesbrough, having a 20 per cent sell-on clause as part of the deal that saw Rogers arrive at Villa Park in January 2024. In his time with the club, he has established himself as one of the most lethal attacking midfielders, scoring 31 times and providing 29 assists in 125 appearances in all competitions.
The sale comes as a big blow to Unai Emery's side, who saw influential midfielder Youri Tielemans complete a transfer to Manchester United earlier this week. United triggered a £35 million buy-out clause in the Belgian's contract.
For Villa, the concentration will now be on preparing the squad for a return to Champions League football next season. The club completed the club record signing of Swiss international Johan Manzambi on Friday, for a fee of £52 million.
Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes is also expected to arrive at Villa Park. The club are also in talks with Bayern Munich over a loan deal for Joao Palhinha.