Football London Icon
Chelsea
Chelsea Transfer News
Morgan Rogers## Chelsea will not be able to hand new signing Morgan Rogers his dream shirt number unless another transfer is sealed
14:26, 19 Jul 2026
Morgan Rogers can claim the No.27 on the back of his Chelsea shirt if Malo Gusto leaves this summer. The French defender has been linked with an Enzo Maresca reunion at Manchester City and is open to departing Stamford Bridge.
Exits have dominated Chelsea transfer news in recent weeks, but that somewhat changed this weekend as a stunning £117million agreement was struck with Aston Villa for Rogers.
Arsenal were favourites for his signature but have been gazumped by their London rivals, who are subsequently set to break their transfer record. As things stand, Rogers will be denied the shirt number that he has worn for nearly five seasons across three different clubs.
The first time he wore the No.27 was during a loan spell at Lincoln City in the 2020/21 campaign, and he again chose that for his temporary spell at Bournemouth the following year.
FOLLOW OUR CHELSEA FB PAGE! Latest Blues news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page
Rogers opted for the No.10 when he arrived at Riverside Stadium, six months after choosing 25 at Blackpool, but he returned to what appears to be his favourite upon joining Villa in January 2024.
Gusto is currently attributed to that number, but that could change before the 2026/27 season starts, with his future at Chelsea far from secure.
Depending on the system deployed by Xabi Alonso, the 23-year-old may find himself third in the pecking order for his position behind captain Reece James and new signing Marco Palestra.
With four years remaining on his contract and several seasons of Premier League, Chelsea are in a strong position to demand a sizeable fee, but City have thus far been put off by a £75m asking price.
Elliot Anderson has already agreed a deal to arrive at Etihad Stadium, with that £116m deal between City and Nottingham Forest being the British transfer record for just a few weeks.
Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi is Man City's latest target, and they will likely end up paying another triple-figure fee if the Morocco international joins.
Article continues below
Prior to Pep Guardiola's departure, City attempted to strengthen at full-back before Matheus Nunes was converted to right-back from midfield.
Newcastle's Tino Livramento and Andrea Cambiaso of Juventus were strongly linked prior to interest in Gusto with Marco Palestra also on their radar, but he has joined Chelsea.
Choose Football London as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.
Google Preferred Source Badge
Chelsea transfer news
Morgan Rogers
Malo Gusto