Morgan Rogers has been told to ignore transfer interest from the Premier League's biggest clubs this summer
Morgan Rogers of Aston Villa
Morgan Rogers of Aston Villa(Image: Getty Images)
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Former Aston Villa forward Dean Saunders has urged Morgan Rogers to stay at the club and ignore transfer interest this summer.
It is thought that Villa’s prized asset, Rogers, is likely to attract interest from other Premier League clubs, with Arsenal and Chelsea already known to be monitoring his situation.
Villa, for their part, are in a strong position after tying Rogers down to a new contract last year, which runs until 2031.
Rogers joined Villa from Middlesbrough for an initial £8 million, rising to £15 million, in January 2024. Since then, he has made 114 appearances for the club, scoring 27 goals and providing a further 24 assists.
Former Villa striker Saunders believes it would be in Rogers’ best interests to remain at Villa, given the ambitions of the club’s owners, even if financial regulations limit their progress.
“Morgan Rogers is class. For a big man he really travels well with the ball and he is good in tight areas,” Saunders told PariuriX.com. “He always keeps the ball and gets out of difficult situations and he can score goals as well.
“Honestly, I don't think Rogers should go anywhere, but I can imagine the conversations when Unai Emery calls him in. Rogers is asking Emery, who Aston Villa are planning on signing. He will say, if you want me to stay, who are we signing then? Are we shopping in Lidl or an expensive store?
“You need the players if they want to take the next step. Their hands have been tied to their backs with Financial Fair Play, but the owners have to sign players if they want to reach the next level. Why didn't they sign Julian Alvarez? They need players like that. Why are they not signing the best players in the world?
“They are playing three times a week and the squad has done exceptionally well, and it wasn't really expected, but they should do even more.”
He added: “Man United and Chelsea are being mentioned with Rogers, but Aston Villa are better than both of them. I wouldn't recommend him joining them. We have seen what is happening when you are moving to Man United. It is like a graveyard.
“It looks like they are going in the right direction, and they have gotten rid of a lot of the players with a bad attitude, but they had to hit rock bottom before doing so. Now, they can sign players who want to play when it is cold.
“Chelsea's plan is not working. They have spent so much money, but they only have one world class player - Cole Palmer. In my opinion, you are a world class player when you can get in the team at any club in the world, and Palmer is the only one who can do that.
“No other Chelsea players are world class. The rest of the team is not good enough. If you spend so much money, you should have at least four or five world class players. Enzo is a decent player, but he hasn't been good enough.
“They brought in youngsters, but they will cost you games. I don't expect Chelsea to win anything in the near future. They have the money to become good, but they are nowhere near.
“I just think Rogers should stay at Aston Villa, because they are a better team than both Chelsea and Manchester United, but he has to ask the owners what the ambitions are.”
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