Over the past couple of seasons, Chelsea have signed several players who played for Manchester City’s academy. Cole Palmer was the first, and they have also brought in the likes of Tosin, Jadon Sancho on loan and Liam Delap will be the next addition who fits the trend.
Well, in the last few days, Aston Villa forward Morgan Rogers, who also came through City’s academy, has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge. Indeed, reports suggest the Blues are ‘prepared to bid for him’ this summer.
Morgan-Rogers-Aston-Villa
However, it is by no means a guarantee that they will sign him. If Rogers is off the table, then Chelsea seem to be lining up the dream alternative.
Chelsea's dream Rogers alternative
Whether or not it was planned, the Blues have certainly signed a number of players from City’s academy but if a move for Rogers doesn’t materialise, they could turn to a player from Barcelona’s famous La Masia academy, instead.
According to a report from TEAMtalk, the West Londoners ‘are seriously considering an approach’ for Xavi Simons, RB Leipzig’s talented, versatile attacker. They are thought to be ‘primed to launch a formal approach’ for the Dutchman after contact with his representatives.
However, they will face tough competition from sides in the Premier League. Two of those hail from London, with rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur interested.
xavi-simons-rb-leipzig-bundesliga
The other is newly crowned Premier League champions Liverpool. Chelsea, or indeed any of the other interested sides, will have to pay upwards of £67m, as per another report from TEAMtalk back in March.
Why Simons is the dream Rogers alternative for Chelsea
Despite being just 22 years of age, Simons has been a key player once again for German outfit Leipzig. The versatile forward, who was born in Amsterdam, overcame injury issues to put in some excellent performances in the 2024/25 campaign, showcasing why he is "one of the best 10s in the world" in the words of one analyst on social media.
Xavi Simons celebrates
His numbers speak for themselves. In 33 appearances across all competitions last season, he managed 11 goals and eight assists. When you break that down further and look at his numbers in the Bundesliga, they read ten goals and seven assists, in just 25 games.
Simons’ goal and assist per game tally last term in the German top flight was impressive. In total, he averaged 0.67 goal involvements per game, showing excellent consistency throughout the campaign.
Interestingly, that is a better goals and assist ratio per game than Rogers. Last term for Villa, the England international played 37 games in the Premier League, scoring and assisting 19 times. That left him with a tally of 0.52 goals and assists per game, some way under Simons’ tally.
Rogers
It is perhaps worth mentioning that the Englishman played over 20 more games than Simons last term.
He was also successful in the Champions League, a competition where the Dutchman struggled. Rogers contributed to seven goals, including a hat-trick against Celtic in the group stage.
One thing that is quite similar between the two players is their versatility. In the 2024/25 campaign, Simons played as both a number 10 and a left-winger, with Rogers slotting in the same roles, as well as playing as a right-winger and a number nine.
Interestingly, there is evidence to suggest that Simons would be a perfect alternative to Rogers when looking at the FBref underlying stats. For example, the Leipzig star averages more key passes per 90 minutes, with 2.13 to Rogers’ 1.47.
Simons v. Rogers key stats compared
Stat (per 90)
Goals and assists
Key passes
Progressive passes
Shot-creating actions
Progressive carries
Stats from FBref
There is no doubt that SImons is a “magic” player, something Statman Dave once said about him. He would add a goal threat and creativity to this Chelsea attack, whilst being able to play in numerous different positions.
Netherlands' Xavi Simons celebrates scoring their third goal
At just 22 years of age, he will surely only get better and grow into the project at Stamford Bridge. If Rogers is unattainable this summer, then surely Simons is the perfect alternative.
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