Chelsea is poised to make Morgan Rogers the most expensive British footballer ever by agreeing to a £117 million ($157.28m) transfer deal with Aston Villa, according to sources informed by ESPN.
Arsenal was looking to intensify their interest in the 23-year-old; however, Chelsea acted swiftly to finalize the agreement after England‘s exit from the World Cup semifinal against Argentina.
Although Arsenal had maintained ongoing negotiations with Villa for a while, sources indicate they were repeatedly hesitant to meet the requested price. Progress quickened once Chelsea expressed their general agreement with Villa’s valuation.
Sources shared with ESPN that Rogers preferred to wait until after England’s fate was determined before making a decision about his future.
England will face France in the World Cup third-place playoff on Saturday in Miami. Rogers is anticipated to undergo a medical examination on Monday upon returning with the squad from the U.S.
The transfer fee will surpass the current record for a British player, which is held by Manchester City for their £116 million acquisition of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest earlier this month.
Liverpool‘s record Premier League transfer stands at £125 million for Alexander Isak from Sweden last summer.
Reports suggest that Rogers has agreed to the basic terms of a six-year contract and expressed a preference for Chelsea over Arsenal, who recently ended a 22-year wait for a Premier League title in May.
– Premier League 2026-27 kits: Ranking every shirt released
– Xabi Alonso: Decision to join Chelsea over Liverpool was ‘about timings’
Rogers joined Villa for £15 million from Middlesbrough in February 2024, in a transfer that reportedly includes a sell-on fee for the Championship club. He has netted 31 goals and provided 29 assists in 125 appearances for Villa.
He made his first World Cup start during Wednesday’s semifinal against Argentina, where he assisted Anthony Gordon‘s second-half goal.