Chelsea reach verbal agreement for £117m Morgan Rogers transfer

Chelsea have reached a verbal agreement with Aston Villa to sign Morgan Rogers. A bid of £117million (€137m, $157m) has been accepted, although the deal for the attacking midfielder is still being finalised. Personal terms are in place on a six-year contract through to 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 manager Xabi Alonso and the club's project a major appeal.

Arsenal were also interested in a move for the England international, but he has chosen Chelsea as his preferred destination. The anticipated deal would represent a record transfer for Chelsea, surpassing the €121m (£106m, $131m at time of the deal) paid to Benfica for Argentina 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 England midfielder Elliot Anderson this summer. Rogers' existing Villa contract runs until 2030, after he signed fresh terms in November 2024. He moved to Villa Park from Middlesbrough in February 2024 for an initial fee of £7m plus a further £8m in add-ons, and the Championship club also has a 20 per cent sell-on clause as part of that deal.