PSR rules vs Aston Villa may well go down as one of the great rivalries of English football the way things are going.
The Villans, even though they're on course for back-to-back Champions League qualifications, could sell one of their leading stars this summer, before investing elsewhere.
It's a major problem for Unai Emery and it has done nothing to silence the headlines that this could yet be Morgan Rogers' final season in an Aston Villa shirt.
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The midfielder has been excellent ever since arriving from Middlesbrough in 2024, but could be about to bow out amid interest from some Premier League rivals.
The latest on Morgan Rogers' future at Aston Villa
They've managed to ease the Premier League's financial demands in less damaging ways in recent years, but recent reports suggest that Rogers' own desire could yet force Aston Villa's hand in the summer transfer window this year.
This time, there's no big offer for Jacob Ramsey from Newcastle United to solve the Villans' problems. Instead, it may well be Rogers or nothing as they potentially make a stunning profit on their midfield star.
Jacob-Ramsey
With both Manchester United and Chelsea interested, among others, the England international could reportedly sell for as much as £90m this summer - handing Aston Villa their biggest sale since Jack Grealish's £100m departure to Manchester City in 2021.
Aston Villa's most expensive sales of all time
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Replacing Rogers' impact may prove to be even tougher than Grealish. The 23-year-old, whose best years are still on the way, has been involved in 18 goals in all competitions this season. Whilst Ollie Watkins has struggled for consistency, he has turned into Emery's most important talisman.
It would be easy to turn towards a big name, worth big money to replace Rogers in the event of his exit this summer, but what if there's a better, cheaper solution?
Morgan-Rogers-stats-2024-25
According to reports in Brazil, as relayed by Sport Witness, Aston Villa are already working on a deal to sign Leo Scienza from Southampton, sending scouts to watch him in action in the Championship.
Boasting a release clause of £25m, negotiations may not prove too difficult for this one.
Why Scienza can become a Rogers repeat at Aston Villa
An attacking star taking the Championship by storm. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?
It wasn't so long ago that Rogers was proving that he's Premier League-ready in the second tier at Middlesbrough, even if eyebrows were still raised by his mid-season switch to Aston Villa.
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After 61 second-tier outings, he's now an England mainstay, one of the best players in the top flight and doubts have long been put to bed. So, two years on, it should come as no surprise that Aston Villa have Scienza in their sights.
Championship stats Scienza 25/26 Rogers 23/24
Minutes 2,113 1,301
Goals 7 2
Assists 9 6
Chances Created 54 37
Take-on Success 51.5% 42.2%
Like Rogers, he is taking the Championship by storm and even put Premier League leaders Arsenal to the sword in the FA Cup. The Brazilian has simply been sensational since the arrival of Tonda Eckert and has deservedly put himself on the radar of those in the Midlands.
The key difference between Rogers in 2024 and Scienza this summer is that the Southampton man is far closer to the finished product at 27 years old.
Whilst that will mean less room for development, it would hand Aston Villa a player who's ready to replace their star man courtesy of his £25m release clause.
With 17 goal involvements this season and a better take-on success than Rogers had in the Championship, it's no wonder former Brighton man Adam Virgo dubbed the Brazilian "wonderful" earlier this season. If anyone's ready for the top flight, it is him.
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