Morgan Rogers’ switch to Chelsea is in serious doubt, according to emerging reports. Aston Villa have now completely withdrawn from talks and have decided to keep the 23-year-old attacker, whose rise has been nothing short of meteoric.
The turnaround is down to Unai Emery, of course. And everybody knows he’s not going to give up his most important creative fulcrum. This unexpected stubbornness from the Midlands hierarchy will force Chelsea to look at other attacking targets.
The sudden turn of events is a shocking conclusion to a story that ran only hours ago. A £117 million bid was accepted, and personal terms were agreed for a six-year deal until 2032, with an option for an extra year. It also reported that a medical was scheduled for Monday. That deal would have made Rogers the most expensive British football player ever, ahead of the £116 million Manchester City paid for Elliot Anderson earlier this month.
Arsenal, however, had given up the chase after being completely outplayed. The Gunners would not pay the £117m price tag. They wanted a price between £90m and £100m.
Emery Has To Handle A Summer Of Departures At Villa Park
Staying with Rogers will be one of the few bright spots in a very bad window for the Europa League holders. The summer started for Villa with real institutional momentum, but that hope has been slowly eroded.
Youri Tielemans has moved to Manchester United for £35m, with Emery once describing the high-energy midfielder as a “son”. Amadou Onana has suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury while playing for Belgium at the World Cup. It is hoped Johan Manzambi will arrive, but young talent cannot instantly replace proven Premier League experience.
At Villa Park, every decision has been hampered by the need to make money. Under UEFA rules, clubs are not allowed to spend more than 70% of their revenue on football costs. Villa have struggled to stay within that limit, after being fined £9.5 million for breaking the rules before. Emery now has to play in the Champions League and also rebuild his spine: a very, very difficult task.