Morgan Rogers Pep Guardiola Man City
(Credit: Imago)
Pete O'Rourke, Transfer Correspondent
Sun 25 May 2025 9:56, UK
Manchester City will struggle to pry Morgan Rogers away from Aston Villa this summer in their hunt for a new playmaker, sources have told Football Insider.
Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, senior correspondent Pete O’Rourke revealed what his sources have said about Man City‘s efforts to re-sign their former academy star.
Pep Guardiola wants a new attacking midfielder to replace the outgoing Kevin De Bruyne, but Football Insider revealed on Friday that City have “pulled the plug” on a deal to sign Florian Wirtz this summer.
Rogers has been linked with a move away from Villa Park with a potential switch to Liverpool called “the deal of the summer” by Paul Robinson, but sources have told Football Insider that City are also keen.
However, City’s attempts to sign the England international could prove difficult, after Football Insider sources said that Villa don’t plan to entertain any offers for Rogers despite their current PSR position.
Villa may be forced to sell several players this summer in order to avoid a Premier League PSR breach, but after another superb season for Unai Emery’s side, Rogers isn’t one whom they’ll be willing to lose.
Florian Wirtz Man City
Florian Wirtz now looks unlikely to join Manchester City (Credit Hasan Karim – Breaking Media)
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Aston Villa to reject Rogers transfer approach from Man City
Rogers spent four years in City’s academy between spells at West Brom and Middlesbrough, and the latter sold him to Villa for just £8million early 2024 in a deal which has proven to be a bargain for Emery.
Speaking on the new Inside Track, O’Rourke said that with City keen on Rogers as a potential alternative to Wirtz in their efforts to efforts to replace De Bruyne, Villa have so far held firm on their transfer stance.
“They will be looking at alternatives for that attacking midfielder, a playmaker who can come in and improve City’s fortunes next season”, he told Football Insider.
“Morgan Rogers has had a great season for Aston Villa… Villa won’t be planning to entertain any offers for Rogers despite concerns over PSR and FFP.”
Morgan Rogers Aston Villa 2
Rogers has taken his game to new levels in the Premier League and Champions League (Credit: Imago)
Man City to look elsewhere after Wirtz, Rogers rejections
It’s rare that Guardiola isn’t able to bring in his number one targets at the Etihad Stadium, and therefore Wirtz’s preference to join Premier League champions Liverpool will come as a bitter blow to City fans.
Rogers has made clear that he’s happy at Villa Park in another potential setback to City’s transfer business, and that’s hardly surprising given he’s become an England regular under Emery’s stewardship.
Amid the news that Arsenal have now entered the race for his other midfield target Morgan Gibbs-White, Guardiola could be forced to go for a more obscure option as it becomes clear that City don’t have the pulling power of old.
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