Morgan Rogers completes £117m Chelsea move as Arsenal miss out on Aston Villa midfielder
Chelsea have signed Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa for £117m on a six-year deal after the England midfielder refused to work with new Blues boss Xabi Alonso.
The Midlands club confirmed their star’s departure in a statement on social media, saying: “Aston Villa can confirm that Morgan Rogers has completed a permanent move to Chelsea.
“Since joining Middlesbrough in 2024, the midfielder has enjoyed immediate prominence, helping Villa lift the UEFA Europa League last season, scoring the third goal in the final in Istanbul.
“During his time at the club, he also earned his first England caps, representing his country at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where the Three Lions finished third.
“A player of great character and commitment, Morgan leaves Aston Villa with the best wishes from everyone at the football club for his service to the club and his future career. He will always be an important part of our good times and past memories.”
Speaking for the first time as a Chelsea player, Rogers added: “I’m very happy; for me, Chelsea is a big club in London and a club I’ve always loved since I was a kid.
“I’m very happy with the job done with the new manager, the players we have and where the team is going, that’s why I’m here and I can’t wait to get started.”
Morgan Rogers statistics: Aston Villa, Middlesbrough
Born in Halesowen in the West Midlands, Rogers spent nine years at nearby West Bromwich Albion before joining Manchester City, who won the 2019/20 FA Youth Cup.
He had loan spells at Lincoln City, Bournemouth and Blackpool before joining Middlesbrough on a permanent basis, scoring seven goals to help Boro finish eighth in the Championship and reach the semi-finals of the EFL Cup in 2023/24.
Villa signed Rogers for an initial £8 million in February 2024 and he quickly established himself as a key figure in Unai Emery’s side, going on to score 14 goals and 15 assists in all competitions in 2024/25, including a hat-trick in the Champions League win over Celtic.
Those numbers earned Rogers Villa and PFA Young Player of the Year honors, and he added 14 goals and 11 assists in 2025/26, winning the Europa League Player of the Season award as Villa lifted the trophy.
No English player has bettered Rogers’ 84 attempts on goal in the 2025/26 Premier League, and no midfielder has matched his tally of 32 on target.
His goals-against ratio of 3.22 is the eighth-best of any player in the division, aided by Rogers’ talent for spectacular strikes.
England’s Morgan Rogers: World Cup starter
An England regular at youth level between the ages of 14 and 21, Rogers made his senior debut against Greece at the Nations League in November 2024.
Lee Carsley, who was England’s interim manager after Gareth Southgate’s exit, gave Rogers his bow and current manager Thomas Tuchel has continued to select him since becoming Southgate’s permanent successor in early 2025.
Rogers scored his only goal for the Three Lions in a 3-0 home win against Wales in October 2025 and was called up for the 2026 World Cup, appearing in seven of England’s eight finals matches.
Having played for the first time in the World Cup against Panama in the group stage, Rogers played when England lost to Argentina in the semi-finals – bypassing Anthony Gordon to open the scoring – and in the victory over France in third place.
When will Morgan Rogers make his Chelsea debut?
Here’s what Chelsea’s pre-season schedule looks like.
| The day | They don’t oppose | Location | Start time is BST | ET | PT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, July 28 | Western Sydney Wanderers | Accor Stadium, Sydney | 10:45 | 05:45 | 02:45 |
| Sat, Aug 1 | Tottenham | Accor platform | 10:45 | 05:45 | 02:45 |
| Wednesday, Aug 5 | Juventus | Kai Tak Sports Park, Kowloon | 12:30 | 07:30 | 04:30 |
| Sat, Aug 8 | Milan | Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta | 13:00 | 08:00 | 05:00 |
| The Sun, Aug 9 | Johor Darul Ta’zim | Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, Gelang Patah | 13:00 | 08:00 | 05:00 |
When does Chelsea’s Premier League 2026/27 season start?
Chelsea’s Premier League season kicks off away to Fulham on Monday, August 24 at 20:00 BST.
In the UK, the match will be shown live on Sky Sports Main Event, Premier League and Ultra, via Sky Go.
