Chelsea agree club-record £117m deal to sign Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa

Chelsea have reached an agreement with Aston Villa to sign England midfielder Morgan Rogers for £117 million ($157 million, €137.5 million), multiple British media outlets reported on Saturday. The fee makes the 23-year-old the most expensive English player in history and eclipses Chelsea's previous record of £115 million paid for Moisés Caicedo in 2023. Rogers is expected to undergo a medical on Monday after returning from the World Cup in the United States, where England face France in the third-place play-off.

The deal

Chelsea beat Premier League champions Arsenal to the signing, moving quickly to secure one of new manager Xabi Alonso's top targets. Rogers will sign a six-year contract at Stamford Bridge, with an option for a seventh season. The attacking midfielder, who can also operate on the wing, joined Villa from Middlesbrough in January 2024 for an initial £7 million plus £8 million in add-ons. His value has multiplied more than sevenfold in two and a half years.

Rogers' rise

Rogers enjoyed a breakout 2025-26 campaign, scoring 14 goals and providing 12 assists in all competitions. He helped Villa secure a top-four Premier League finish and played a decisive role in their Europa League triumph, assisting the opening goal and scoring the third in a 3-0 final victory over Freiburg. Earlier in the season, he netted a Champions League hat-trick against Celtic. At the World Cup, Rogers started England's semi-final against Argentina and created Anthony Gordon's goal in the 2-1 defeat.

Villa's reshaping

Aston Villa have already sanctioned the departure of Belgium midfielder Youri Tielemans to Manchester United for £35 million earlier in the week. The club moved to reinforce their squad by announcing the signing of 20-year-old Switzerland winger Johan Manzambi from Freiburg on Friday for a reported fee of just over £50 million. Villa are also expected to conclude a deal sending left-back Lucas Digne to Paris Saint-Germain. The club view the Rogers fee as a good deal and will reinvest the proceeds further.

Chelsea's rebuild

Alonso, appointed in May, is tasked with reviving a Chelsea side that finished 10th in the Premier League last season and will have no European football in 2026-27. The club have already raised funds by selling Marc Cucurella to Real Madrid and Andrey Santos to Manchester United. Further sales are possible, with Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernández attracting interest from Madrid. Chelsea are tracking Crystal Palace duo Adam Wharton and Maxence Lacroix as potential additions.

What's next

Rogers will complete his medical in London on Monday before finalising the move. Chelsea begin their Premier League campaign away to Fulham on 24 August, when the record signing could make his debut. Villa, meanwhile, will continue reshaping Unai Emery's squad after losing two key midfielders in the same week.