In a significant transfer move, Aston Villa has officially signed 21-year-old forward Morgan Rogers from Championship club Middlesbrough for a fee of £8 million, with potential add-ons taking the deal to £15 million.
Rogers, primarily known for his skills as a winger, has been in impressive form this season, notching up seven goals and providing nine assists in 33 games for Middlesbrough. The England Under-20 international made the switch to Riverside Stadium from Manchester City last July for £1.5 million on a four-year deal.
The negotiation process between Aston Villa and Middlesbrough was marked by persistence, with the latter rejecting three initial bids before finally settling on a price for Rogers. Manchester City, Rogers’ former club, is set to benefit from the deal with a 25% sell-on fee agreed upon any profit Middlesbrough makes from the transfer.
Aston Villa’s manager, Unai Emery, expressed enthusiasm about working with the young forward. After State’s 3-1 defeat at Newcastle, Emery expressed, “We are motivated and eager to work with [Rogers] and ideally he can develop here as we think.” He will.”
Currently occupying the fourth spot in the Premier League, Aston Villa is five points adrift of the top position, despite winning only one of their last four league matches. The team is also in contention in both the FA Cup, with a fourth-round replay against Chelsea, and the Europa Conference League, having secured a place in the last 16.
This signing follows Aston Villa’s earlier acquisition in January when they secured defender Kosta Nedeljkovic from Red Star Belgrade for an undisclosed fee. Despite the winter transfer deadline for Premier League clubs looming at 23:00 GMT on Thursday, Emery stated on Tuesday that he does not anticipate any further business for the club in the current transfer window.
Football fans are eagerly anticipating how Rogers’ addition to Aston Villa’s squad will impact their performance as they continue their campaign in domestic and European competitions.
