Morgan Rogers playing for England
Middlesbrough look set to profit some more on Morgan Rogers(Image: Bradley Collyer/PA Wire)
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Middlesbrough are set to earn around £20.2million when Aston Villa sell Morgan Rogers to Chelsea in a £117m transfer deal in the coming days.
Rogers is set to head for a medical after his World Cup duties ended with England's 6-4 win over France and a deal will be struck after Villa and Chelsea agreed verbal terms.
The sell-on clause in his Villa contract will see Boro cash in on the 20% clause they put in his contract when he signed for Villa in February 2024 for £16m.
Boro had already been quids in with Rogers when they agreed the deal with Villa for a player they paid just £1.5m to Manchester City for, just a year earlier.
However, things are only going to get better for the club, as they will also see a huge slice, potentially a world record, of the transfer fee Villa take in.
Head of football Kieran Scott had previously teased a huge windfall when Rogers was linked with Arsenal. Scott said: "I won’t say what amount.
"But there’s a good sell-on for the club. It would end up being a great signing for someone who played for 5 and a half months for us.”
Arsenal had been heavily linked with an interest in Rogers, but 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, but that prospect is now off the table.
Alonso and the appeal of the Stamford Bridge project have been key factors in influencing his decision.
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.
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 Emery's side, who saw influential midfielder Youri Tielemans complete a transfer to Manchester United earlier this week. United triggered a £35million 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 £52million.
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.