Chelsea co-director of recruitment Joe Shields has masterminded the club’s stunning move to beat Arsenal to the signing of England international Morgan Rogers, with TEAMtalk able to exclusively reveal that a British-record £117million agreement has now been reached with Aston Villa.
TEAMtalk revealed back in February that Shields was the driving force behind Chelsea’s pursuit of Rogers, identifying the England star as a priority target and pushing internally for the club to make their move.
Months later, Shields has delivered. Sources have confirmed to TEAMtalk that Chelsea have not only agreed personal terms with Rogers after Arsenal had already reached an agreement with the player’s camp, but the Blues have also struck a £117m deal with Villa that will make the attacker the most expensive British player of all time.
Chelsea have moved decisively to hijack Arsenal’s long-standing pursuit of the 23-year-old, with Shields leading negotiations throughout the process and ensuring that the Blues accelerated their approach at the crucial moment.
We understand that Rogers’ representatives kept Arsenal informed throughout discussions, just as they had done with Chelsea previously, with both clubs aware of the situation as it developed.
Shields also had a significant advantage in Chelsea’s pursuit through his long-standing relationship with Rogers.
The Chelsea co-director of recruitment was the man who first identified the youngster playing for West Bromwich Albion and played a key role in taking him to Manchester City.
That existing trust and connection proved invaluable throughout negotiations and was a major factor in Chelsea ultimately winning the race for the England international.
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Why Arsenal are not paying £117m for Morgan Rogers
Arsenal had been confident after agreeing personal terms with the player, with manager Mikel Arteta personally speaking to Rogers in an effort to convince him that the Emirates Stadium was the right destination.
However, sources state that Shields, together with new Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso, ultimately persuaded Rogers that the Blues’ long-term project at Stamford Bridge offered the best platform for the next stage of his career.
We understand that Arsenal would not have been prepared to go much beyond the £100m mark and did not believe a fee of £117m represented the right value for the club.
While there is understandable frustration at losing out on one of their priority targets, the Gunners were never willing to match Chelsea’s record-breaking offer.
For Chelsea, meanwhile, it represents another major statement in the transfer market and a significant victory for Shields, whose persistence over several months has culminated in one of the biggest deals of the summer so far.
With a club-record and British-record £117m agreement now in place, Rogers is set to become Chelsea’s latest marquee signing after a transfer orchestrated from start to finish by Shields.
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