Chelsea’s ambitions to sign Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa have been dealt a setback, with Villa reportedly placing a British record €150million (£130m) price tag on the England international, according to The Telegraph. The news comes as Chelsea seek a versatile forward ahead of the 2026-27 season, with Rogers identified as a prime target.
Rogers enjoyed a breakout 2025-26 campaign, scoring 14 goals in all competitions and playing a key role in Aston Villa’s Europa League triumph. His performances have established him as one of the Premier League’s most exciting attacking midfielders, and he recently made his first World Cup start for England in their 2-0 victory over Panama.
However, Chelsea are not alone in their interest, with Premier League champions Arsenal also monitoring the 23-year-old, as reported by BBC Sport. Villa are reportedly unwilling to sell, believing Rogers to be worth more than Elliot Anderson, who recently completed a €134million (£116m) move to Manchester City from Nottingham Forest. They are also seeking a fee exceeding the €145million (£125m) Liverpool paid for Alexander Isak last summer, setting a new British transfer record.
Complicating matters for Villa is a 20 per cent sell-on clause held by Middlesbrough, from whom they signed Rogers in February 2024 for €17.4million (£15m). Meanwhile, Arsenal are also actively pursuing midfield reinforcements, having had a verbal offer of below €69.5million (£60m) for Newcastle United’s Bruno Guimaraes rejected. They are also reportedly interested in Guimaraes’ Newcastle teammate, Sandro Tonali, who is also attracting attention from Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City.
Elsewhere, Chelsea recently submitted a €9.2million (£8m) bid for Switzerland international Granit Xhaka, which was turned down by Sunderland. The club also issued a strongly worded statement blaming former manager Enzo Maresca for their disappointing 2025-26 season, following his appointment as the new head coach of Manchester City.
