Morgan Rogers has completed his £117m move to Chelsea after they hijacked Arsenal's deal for the England man
Morgan Rogers
Morgan Rogers has completed his move to Chelsea(Image: Getty Images)
View Image
Morgan Rogers has described Chelsea as 'the biggest club in London' following Arsenal's failure to secure the Aston Villa star's signature. He had previously been touted for a potential transfer to the Emirates following his impressive performances for Villa.
However, Chelsea succeeded in swooping for the player, completing his acquisition for £117m. Rogers was formally presented on Tuesday evening following his medical examination with his new club.
After the transfer was confirmed, he described Chelsea as London's premier football club. The England international said: "I'm so excited. For me, Chelsea are the biggest club in London and a club I've always admired since I was a kid.
"I'm really excited about the project with the new manager, the players we've got and where the club is heading. That's why I'm here and I can't wait to get started."
The 23 year old has arrived at Chelsea following an exceptional campaign during which he netted 14 goals for Villa and contributed to the club's Europa League triumph, reports the Mirror.
Discussing his decision to sign for the Blues, Rogers acknowledged that incoming manager Xabi Alonso played a significant role. He said: "I've had a few conversations with him and I think it's important for me to be here that I need to understand what the manager's like, how he is and how he wants to operate.
"It very much fits with the way I see the game, the way I want to play, and the way I want to be me, and be free and express myself. Him being a part of that was a massive factor in me being here."
Rogers will also be reuniting with his childhood friend Cole Palmer at Stamford Bridge, having grown up alongside one another at Manchester City.
Reflecting on his forthcoming reunion with the playmaker, he said: "I've known Cole since I was about 14, first in the England [youth] teams and then when we were both at Man City together. We've been speaking about this for a while; we always would love to have played together. So, for it to happen, we're both excited.
"He's non-stop ringing my phone, texting me, and I can't wait. I think that's probably the most special thing, playing with one of your best friends and being around him every day. It's something I'm really excited about."
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.