Merson questions Chelsea’s reported £117m move for Morgan Rogers

Sky Sports reports Morgan Rogers is set to leave Aston Villa for Chelsea in a £117m deal, with Paul Merson arguing the move is not an obvious squad need for the Blues. The reported fee would make Rogers Britain’s most expensive footballer, though the deal remains subject to independent confirmation from the clubs based on the supplied source.

Merson’s main concern is fit. He views Rogers as most effective in a central attacking role, an area where Chelsea already have Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro, and he questions whether shifting any of them wide would get the best from the squad.

The column also frames the transfer as a setback for Arsenal, who are described as having targeted Rogers, and suggests they may now need to look elsewhere for a left-sided attacker. Names such as Desire Doue and Bradley Barcola are mentioned in the source as possible alternatives, but those links are presented as opinion rather than confirmed activity.

For Aston Villa, the bigger issue is creative depth. The piece says Rogers and Youri Tielemans have both left, leaving Unai Emery’s side without two influential ball-progressors, while further talk around Ezri Konsa is speculative and should be treated cautiously.