Morgan Rogers
Morgan Rogers doing his 'cold' celebration(Image: Andrew Kearns - CameraSport)
View 2 Images
Morgan Rogers is expected to complete a medical at Chelsea today ahead of his £117m move from Aston Villa - and Arsenal fans are still scratching their heads, wondering what happened to his move to the Emirates.
It was the news that caused ripples around the footballing world at the weekend, and it seems Rogers was presented with three compelling reasons to choose Chelsea over Arsenal.
The rumoured move to the Gunners has been hitting the headlines for weeks with the move seemingly a foregone conclusion, Chelsea and Rogers, it seems, had other ideas.
The Athletic reported that the midfielder opted for the Blues because of the exciting project the club had sold to him. Additionally, Xabi Alonso's presence at Stamford Bridge proved another decisive factor in Chelsea's efforts to persuade him to overlook Arsenal.
It is also understood that the Blues have informed Rogers that they intend to utilise him on the left wing next season, which ultimately became the final reason for his impending move.
Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers
Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers are close friends(Image: Catherine Ivill - AMA)
View 2 Images
The 23-year-old is expected to go through his medical to become a Chelsea player today, and the fee surpasses the Blues' record signing fee, previously set by Enzo Fernandez's £107million signing in 2023.
It also tops the £116m that Manchester City paid Nottingham Forest for Elliot Anderson recently, making it a new British transfer record.
One thing for sure is that Villa will be planning what to do with the money and have already wrapped up the arrivals of Switzerland World Cup star Johan Manzambi and an announcement is imminent for the capture of Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder and past United target Joao Gomes.
How to follow our Aston Villa coverage
John Townley
John Townley
You can follow our dedicated reporter John Townley on X by clicking here - he follows Villa home and away and offers you comprehensive coverage from matchdays, press conferences and everything that happens in between.
So much happens day to day and sometimes you can struggle to keep on top of the very latest updates as and when they occur - that's why we have produced a daily newsletter which you can sign up to, for free, and which means you'll have a round-up of the key stories land in your email inbox.
You'll also get competition offers and stories around discounts on Villa merchandise.
Sign up to the Villa newsletter here.
WhatsApp: You can also get all your favourite content from BirminghamLive's Villa team on WhatsApp. Click here to sign up for breaking updates about the biggest stories in and around the club.If you prefer reading our Villa stories on your phone, consider downloading the BirminghamLive app, in which you can personalise the content you see by selecting Villa as one of your designated topics. You can get it from Apple here and for Android here.
Social: We have a Facebook page waiting for you with daily updates, some of which we don't post anywhere else - click here
You can also folllow our Villa updates on X - here
Podcast: Our weekly Aston Villa podcast, Claret And Blue, is also available to watch and listen on all major streaming services. You can subscribe to the YouTube channel here, while you can access the podcast on Spotify here and via Apple here.
Midlands Football editor Steve Wollaston said: "We pride ourselves on covering all the topics of interest to Villa fans, from tactics and team news to kit launches and transfer rumours. Signing up for our newsletter means you won't miss anything that's happening at Villa Park and Bodymoor Heath."
Our Villa newsletter is already a huge success, so don't miss out - just sign up today and you will automatically receive all the headline news straight to your phone, tablet or computer.