Former Man United and Aston Villa striker Dwight Yorke
Former Man United and Aston Villa striker Dwight Yorke(Image: Getty Images)
View Image
Dwight Yorke does not believe Morgan Rogers would be moving to a bigger club if he left Aston Villa for Arsenal and says the forward can help lead a Premier League title charge with Unai Emery next season.
The 23-year-old is one of Arsenal’s main targets this summer, with reports suggesting Villa have placed a valuation of around £130 million on their prized asset and are reluctant to sell.
Rogers, who is currently representing England at the World Cup, enjoyed an impressive campaign last season, scoring 10 goals and providing six assists in 37 Premier League appearances.
He was also named UEFA Europa League Player of the Season after playing a key role in helping Villa lift the trophy in May.
Former Aston Villa striker Yorke believes Rogers should not be in a rush to leave Villa despite strong interest from Premier League champions Arsenal, with the forward continuing to develop under Unai Emery’s management.
Speaking to BOYLE Sports, Yorke said: “Morgan Rogers wouldn’t be moving to a bigger club if he joined Arsenal because Aston Villa are a big club, and they’re looking to establish themselves as one of the top four or five teams in the country again, which is something they should have always been.
“They are regaining that status in the game so Rogers has to think very carefully about whether he wants to leave this project.
“He doesn’t want to go somewhere else and end up not playing, being swapped in and out. I wouldn’t want to see him messed around like that as he enters his peak years. If he were to go to Arsenal, how many games does he really think he is likely to start?
“He can stay at Aston Villa, playing regularly for a team that is on the up, with a terrific manager and a team carrying bigger expectations now than before.
“If it’s all about money, maybe he ought to go in and say he needs a bigger contract to stay, because I would stay at Villa because this Villa team are not far from the other teams.
“The next step for Unai Emery now is winning a Premier League title. Does Rogers really want to miss out on that?
“I think Unai Emery needs to convince him that he can stay and do the unthinkable with Villa, which is to win the Premier League. To do that you need your best players. You can’t go selling them or you’ll go backwards.”
John Townley
John Townley
You can follow our dedicated reporter John Townley on X by clicking here - he follows Villa home and away and offers you comprehensive coverage from matchdays, press conferences and everything that happens in between.
So much happens day to day and sometimes you can struggle to keep on top of the very latest updates as and when they occur - that's why we have produced a daily newsletter which you can sign up to, for free, and which means you'll have a round-up of the key stories land in your email inbox.
You'll also get competition offers and stories around discounts on Villa merchandise.
Sign up to the Villa newsletter here.
WhatsApp: You can also get all your favourite content from BirminghamLive's Villa team on WhatsApp. Click here to sign up for breaking updates about the biggest stories in and around the club.If you prefer reading our Villa stories on your phone, consider downloading the BirminghamLive app, in which you can personalise the content you see by selecting Villa as one of your designated topics. You can get it from Apple here and for Android here.
Social: We have a Facebook page waiting for you with daily updates, some of which we don't post anywhere else - click here
You can also folllow our Villa updates on X - here
Podcast: Our weekly Aston Villa podcast, Claret And Blue, is also available to watch and listen on all major streaming services. You can subscribe to the YouTube channel here, while you can access the podcast on Spotify here and via Apple here.
Midlands Football editor Steve Wollaston said: "We pride ourselves on covering all the topics of interest to Villa fans, from tactics and team news to kit launches and transfer rumours. Signing up for our newsletter means you won't miss anything that's happening at Villa Park and Bodymoor Heath."
Our Villa newsletter is already a huge success, so don't miss out - just sign up today and you will automatically receive all the headline news straight to your phone, tablet or computer.
Do you agree with Yorke? Tell us here