Aston Villa are not about to let Morgan Rogers leave easily, and Chelsea have been told exactly what is required for them to even get close to his signature.
Aston Villa chase Champions League place as vultures circle for Rogers
Villa head to Molineux on Friday night for a West Midlands derby of real significance.
Third in the Premier League, fighting for Champions League football and with one eye on a Europa League last-16 tie fast approaching, Unai Emery's side cannot afford to slip up against a Wolves team who are destined for the Championship.
unai-emery-aston-villa-premier-league
The table is tight at the top, the stakes are high, and Villa know that momentum is everything at this stage of the season.
At the heart of everything Villa do well is Rogers.
The 23-year-old has been the standout player in claret and blue this season, producing the kind of performances that have elevated him into the conversation about England's starting lineup ahead of the World Cup.
Eight goals and five assists in the Premier League alone this season, all delivered with the creativity, directness and intelligence that has made him the most exciting young attacking midfielder in the country.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery before the match Related
Unai Emery handed key Aston Villa injury update as star targets pre-Man United return
The Villans are without a few key men.
When Rogers plays well, Villa play well. It really is that simple.
His importance to Emery's system cannot be overstated.
He drives at defenders, finds pockets of space in tight areas and carries a genuine goal threat from wherever he starts. For the Wolves game on Friday, Rogers will be central to Villa's plans — and if he can replicate his recent form at a hostile Molineux, Villa will take some stopping.
But while the short-term focus is firmly on the derby and what remains of a compelling season, there is a longer-term question forming in the background about Rogers' long-term future.
Morgan Rogers graphic
The former Middlesbrough sensation has long been a target for Chelsea, and that interest remains heading into the summer window.
Aston Villa make 'extraordinary' demand as Chelsea push for Morgan Rogers deal
According to TEAMtalk and journalist Graeme Bailey, Chelsea's interest in Rogers is not just real — it is deeply rooted and unrelenting.
The Blues' co-director of recruitment, Joe Shields, has admired Rogers for years, having originally signed him for Man City's academy before identifying him as an elite talent.
Rogers
Shields has since delivered Cole Palmer, Liam Delap and Roméo Lavia to Stamford Bridge, and his track record of landing top young English players means Chelsea take his assessment of Rogers with the utmost seriousness.
They believe he could be worth every penny of whatever Villa demand, and that figure will be enormous.
Emery's side consider him the best young playmaker in Europe and the cornerstone of their long-term project. Internally, they have no desire to sell.
His valuation apparently exceeds the £100 million Jack Grealish fetched from City in 2021 — the club's record sale.
Grealish
So, as per Bailey, Villa will only entertain selling Rogers in the event of an 'extraordinary' offer north of the fee they got for Grealish.
Chelsea, though, will not be easily deterred. Arsenal, Liverpool and Man United all hold genuine admiration for Rogers as well, but it is the Blues who are regarded as the most 'proactive and determined' suitors.
They are believed to already be positioning themselves to make a serious move when the summer window opens, and Chelsea now know they may need to fork out yet another £100m-plus fee.
AFC Bournemouth's Marcos Senesi in action with Wolverhampton Wanderers' Yerson Mosquera Related
[Everton now showing strong interest in hijacking Aston Villa for "very valuable" Premier League star](https://www.footballfancast.com/everton-now-showing-strong-transfer-interest-marco-senesi-aston-villa/ "Everton now showing strong interest in hijacking Aston Villa for "very valuable" Premier League star")
The Toffees are very keen on signing a defender.