Chelsea have struck a club-record £117m agreement to sign England midfielder Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa. The 23-year-old will ink a six-year contract at Stamford Bridge with an option for a seventh.
Rogers is scheduled for a medical on Monday after rejoining from England duty at the 2026 World Cup. The fee would set a new high for an English player, surpassing the £116m Manchester City agreed with Nottingham Forest for fellow Three Lions midfielder Elliot Anderson earlier this summer.
It will also be the most expensive signing in Chelsea’s history, overtaking the £107m paid for Enzo Fernandez in 2023. The deal comes as new head coach Xabi Alonso reshapes his squad ahead of the Premier League season.
A former Manchester City prospect, Rogers moved to Villa from Middlesbrough in February 2024 for £8m, potentially rising to £15m. Thanks to a 20% sell-on clause on Villa’s profit, Middlesbrough are set to receive at least £20.4m from the transfer, depending on triggered add-ons—an amount they believe is a domestic record for a sell-on fee.
Rogers scored 21 goals in 85 league appearances under Unai Emery and helped Villa win the Europa League last season. He has 22 senior England caps with one goal and featured seven times at this summer’s World Cup.
His exit is Villa’s second midfield departure this week after Youri Tielemans joined Manchester United for £35m. Villa have moved to reinforce, signing Switzerland international Johan Manzambi from Freiburg for over £50m and lining up Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes for £38m.