Chelsea have agreed a club-record £117 million ($157.4 million) deal to sign England midfielder Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa, in what is the most expensive transfer ever for an English player.
The 23-year-old, fresh from representing England at the 2026 World Cup, will undergo a medical in London on Monday and sign a six-year contract with an option for a further year. The fee surpasses the previous English record of £116 million that Manchester City paid Nottingham Forest for Elliot Anderson earlier this summer.
For Chelsea, this is the most expensive signing in the club's history, exceeding the £107 million spent on Argentina's Enzo Fernandez in January 2023. It also represents the first major acquisition under new manager Xabi Alonso, who took over at Stamford Bridge.
Rogers, who came through Manchester City's youth academy, originally joined Aston Villa from Middlesbrough in February 2024 for an initial £8 million fee, potentially rising to £15 million. During his time at Villa Park, he made 85 Premier League appearances and scored 21 goals, playing a pivotal role in the club's top-four finish and last season's Europa League triumph.
Thanks to a sell-on clause entitling Middlesbrough to 20% of the profit, the Championship side will receive at least £20.4 million — believed to be an English record for a sell-on fee.
Rogers is the second midfielder to leave Villa this week after Youri Tielemans' £35 million move to Manchester United. However, Villa have moved quickly to reinforce, bringing in Switzerland international Johan Manzambi from Freiburg for over £50 million and targeting Wolverhampton's Joao Gomes for £38 million.
Sources
- BBC Sport — Chelsea agree record £117m deal for Villa's Rogers (https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c0ej1jyy8yyo)
- AP News — Aston Villa reportedly accepts $157M bid from Chelsea for England midfielder Morgan Rogers (https://apnews.com/article/morgan-rogers-chelsea-transfer-d39a0653c74cd550fee53f3823beff8f)
