Chelsea have reached a verbal agreement with Aston Villa to sign Morgan Rogers.
A bid of £117 million (€137 million, $157 million) has been accepted, although the deal for the attacking midfielder is still being finalized, according to sources familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Personal terms are in place on a six-year contract through 2032 with the option of a further 12 months, and a medical is scheduled for Monday.
Rogers, 23, wants to move to Chelsea, with new coach Xabi Alonso and the club’s project a big attraction.
Arsenal were also interested in signing the England international, but he has chosen Chelsea as his preferred destination.
The anticipated deal would represent a record transfer for Chelsea, surpassing the €121 million (£106 million, $131 million at the time of the deal) paid to Benfica for Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernandez in the 2023 winter window.
It would also eclipse the British record fee of £116m agreed by Manchester City with Nottingham Forest for the signing of English midfielder Elliot Anderson this summer.
Morgan Rogers creates the perfect midfielder
The Athletic reported in June There is an expectation that Rogers will leave Villa this summer, with Arsenal and Chelsea among his admirers.
Rogers’ current contract with Villa extends until 2030 after he signed new terms in November 2024. That agreement added another year to his previous contract and adjusted his salary more to his position in Unai Emery’s squad.
He moved to Villa Park from Middlesbrough in February 2024 for an initial fee of £7m plus a further £8m in add-ons, with the Championship club also having a 20 per cent sell-on clause as part of that deal.
The former West Bromwich Albion and Manchester City academy player has established himself as one of the Premier League’s most in-form attacking midfielders over the past two seasons, scoring 31 goals and adding 29 assists in 125 appearances for Villa.
Rogers provided 14 goals and 12 assists in 55 appearances in all competitions during the 2025-26 campaign as Villa qualified for the Champions League and won the Europa League.
he received his first senior England call-up in November 2024 and has participated in all six of his country’s World Cup matches so far, starting in the final group stage match against Panama and in the loss to Argentina.
Rogers, who set up England’s only goal in the semifinal with a cross for Anthony Gordon, is with the England team in the United States for Saturday’s third-place match against France.
A unique talent
Analysis by Aston Villa correspondent Jacob Tanswell
The Athletic It was previously reported that there was an expectation that Rogers would leave Aston Villa.
Chelsea are long-time admirers, and Arsenal and several clubs, both in the Premier League and Europe, are closely monitoring his situation.
Rogers is a unique talent, capable of playing multiple positions and with a ball-carrying ability that continues to be honed.
Rogers enjoyed a hugely impressive spell at Villa Park. (James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)
Villa were fully aware that they were likely to lose Rogers, but only for a fee in excess of £100m.
They will reinvest some of that money by signing a winger, with Paris Saint-Germain’s Ibrahim Mbaye and West Ham United’s Crysencio Summerville among the top targets, and have spent more than £50m on Johan Manzambi, who has a similar profile to Rogers, and £35m on Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Joao Gomes, who underwent his medical on Friday.
How could Rogers and Palmer play together?
Analysis by Thom Harris
Rogers has flourished in recent campaigns for Aston Villa, consistently being one of their most threatening attacking players, having racked up 28 goals and 24 assists over the last two seasons. He is at his best in open play, a powerful dribbler who can cut through midfield with the ball at his feet, while also having great power from distance, scoring five goals from outside the box since his Premier League debut.
The critical question is how does a player of his abilities fit into the Chelsea team?
As our German football correspondent Seb Stafford-Bloor noted, incoming Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso preferred a 3-4-2-1 attacking system at Bayer Leverkusen, where the full-backs offered width and two number 10s, namely Jonas Hoffman and Florian Wirtz, occupied the half-spaces and looked to feed the lone striker behind.
That could offer clues as to what Alonso has in mind for Rogers. On the right, Hoffman often drifted to connect with Jeremie Frimpong, who overlapped and was comfortable carrying the ball forward in wide spaces. That would suit Rogers, who could form a relationship with new signing Marco Palestra, known for his adventurous off-ball runs and authentic full-back play. Meanwhile, Cole Palmer has more freedom to play the role of ‘Wirtz’ on the opposite side.
As we can see from their passing nets last season, they should both be able to play together in those number 10 roles.
Alonso has demonstrated his tactical flexibility throughout his coaching career, changing formations during his time at Real Madrid. But the acquisition of Rogers along with Palestra suggests he is looking to recreate a winning formula and return to an expansive three-defender system.
What happens now with Arsenal?
Analysis by Arsenal correspondent James McNicholas
Rogers was believed to be among Arsenal’s top targets for the window.
Mikel Arteta expects the players to add quality and threat to Arsenal’s attack, especially down the left side. Rogers was seen as a player with the versatility to contribute in different roles.
However, Rogers’ price significantly exceeded Arsenal’s expectations. While Arsenal evaluate their options, Chelsea have moved aggressively to secure the player’s signature.
Arsenal are likely to turn their attention to alternatives, such as Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola.
