Paul Merson feels it’s “crazy” that Chelsea have signed Morgan Rogers for £117million, after he was “atrocious” at times last season and simply doesn’t fit.
Rogers was a major target for Arsenal for months, but the Gunners never lodged a bid for him. That allowed the Blues to swoop in and agree his £117million transfer in recent days.
Chelsea have already signed four players this summer, but the move for Rogers is by far the biggest.
Sky Sports pundit Merson is not happy with the deal in its entirety, though.
He said: “It’s a lot of money. Crazy money. Bringing Morgan Rogers in for £117m isn’t what Chelsea needed.
“They’ve got Cole Palmer! They play in the same position! Rogers went to the World Cup instead of Palmer, because they play in the same position.
“Unless Chelsea go for the almighty and sell Enzo Fernandez – and swallow the pill for him, because he’s not worth £100m – and then play Moises Caicedo at the base, then Rogers and Palmer both ahead of him.
“But Joao Pedro is also a No 10. So with Joao Pedro, Rogers and Palmer, Chelsea have bought an attacking midfielder when they already have two very good ones.
“Where’s Palmer going to be? Stuck out on the right again? He’s wasted in that position. And if Rogers is played out on the right – no disrespect, but there are a lot better right wingers than him out there.”
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Rogers has to perform
Merson has also warned Rogers that he has to perform, but it won’t be easy.
He said: “For me, Rogers is a No 10. He’s at his absolute best in open play. When the game gets broken up and he’s running with the ball, he’s very good at that.
“But he won’t get that at Chelsea. At Stamford Bridge, opposition teams kick off and sit 10 behind the ball. There’s no space.
“And Rogers has got to carry that price tag around with him. He will sit there and say: ‘there is no pressure on me, I didn’t pay that fee.’ But it’s a load of rubbish. Everybody will look at that when you don’t do well.
“A lot of people were saying it was too much for Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo when they moved for £100m. But the biggest compliment I can give them is nobody ever mentions it. They were good signings. That’s what Rogers has got to hope for.
“But he’s got to make things happen, which is a harder position to be in than Rice and Caicedo were. In midfield, you can do this and that – but Rogers will be judged on scoring and creating goals. That’s the hardest job in the world.
“I’m also sure that at the start of last season, he was atrocious for Aston Villa. I’m sure he was. Then he came good and then had a good second part of the season.
“He can’t play like that at Chelsea. That is an absolute no-go, it’s a different ball game when you go for that kind of money.”
READ MORE: Romano reveals Arsenal’s reaction to losing Morgan Rogers to Chelsea as transfer timeline is revealed