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Chelsea are in talks with RB Leipzig for Xavi Simons’ transfer with personal terms already agreed with the Dutch international as Enzo Maresca targets a new midfielder before the 2025/26 campaign gets underway.
In spite of a transfer looking imminent for the former Paris Saint-Germain star, Caught Offside (citing Daily Express) has reported that Chelsea are expected to attempt a transfer for Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers.
As per the source, the Blues are ‘keen admirers’ of the English international and could leverage Unai Emery’s interest in Nicolas Jackson to get a deal done for Rogers given that Villa may need to offload players due to the Premier League’s PSR.
Rogers was arguably Aston Villa’s best player last season as he led the way for them with 14 goals and 16 assists in all competitions. His valuation stands at £80 million although a swap deal involving Jackson may reduce his price tag.
Chelsea may not sign both Rogers and Simons
Though they are both brilliant players, Chelsea would not be frugal if they sign Morgan Rogers as well as Xavi Simons given that they bring similar profiles to the table and also play in the exact same roles on the pitch.
Given that talks for Simons are at a more advanced stage than Chelsea’s interest in Rogers, there is enough evidence to suggest that the RB Leipzig star is their priority over the Aston Villa midfielder.
With that said, signing two number 10s does not make any sense for Chelsea as starting both players would disrupt their defensive stability which has been vital to their success in the last few months.
Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo have done superbly in deeper-lying positions and the last thing Enzo Maresca would want is to disturb the chemistry the South Americans have built amongst themselves and the team’s back four.
A new attacking midfielder would mean Cole Palmer starts to feature on the right wing, thus being freed from his creative responsibilities, so Simons, who gives more output as a conductor between midfield and offence would be the better signing.
Morgan Rogers would be a solid alternative, however, so the Blues would understandably not be expected to cool their interest in him until everything is fully in place for Xavi Simons.