Xabi Alonso has revealed Chelsea’s decision to pursue Morgan Rogers over the summer was heavily influenced by Cole Palmer. The Chelsea manager was asked about it at his pre-match press conference on the eve of Saturday’s game with Hull City.
Rogers joined from Aston Villa in July for a club-record fee reported to be £117m, easily beating the £106m paid for Enzo Fernandez. Arsenal chased the England international before the Blues finalised talks with the player, who agreed terms until 2033. Rogers and Palmer came through the Manchester City academy together, and their friendship long predates their professional reunion in West London.
When asked if that chemistry off the pitch has translated into an understanding on the pitch, Alonso was clear:
“I would say [it helps] a lot. Even before they were playing together they were so connected. We were following this connection for a few weeks before the transfer happened and Cole was very influential. He played an important role, Morgan as well. We are happy that this happened now.”
The Palmer-Rogers Partnership Has Already Yielded Tangible Dividends For Chelsea
Rogers has scored two goals and registered four assists in his first five games with the club. He scored within two minutes of last weekend’s Arsenal fixture, a loud early sign of how quickly he’s assimilated Alonso’s methods.
The most telling evidence of that came in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup tie against Leeds United at Stamford Bridge. Both attackers came on at the interval with Chelsea trailing by two goals, and the contest was transformed within a quarter of an hour. Palmer scored a penalty, then curled in an equaliser, with Rogers picking up three assists as the hosts ran out 6-3 winners.
That intervention justified the scale of Chelsea’s outlay, and offered a promising glimpse of what the pairing could produce over a full campaign. Both players were in the starting line-up to face Hull City on Saturday afternoon, in the two advanced positions behind Joao Pedro.