Chelsea add Morgan Rogers in reported British-record transfer
The England forward has joined from Aston Villa on a contract through 2033, with media reports putting the deal at 117 million pounds.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
3 min read
Chelsea have completed the signing of England forward Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa in a deal reported to be the most expensive British transfer. The move gives new manager Xabi Alonso another major addition as Chelsea try to rebound from a 10th-place Premier League finish, according to AP and Reuters.
Chelsea did not announce a transfer fee. Media reports cited by AP and Reuters put the deal at 117 million pounds, or $156.5 million, which would edge past Elliot Anderson’s reported 116 million-pound move from Nottingham Forest to Manchester City earlier this month.
The Premier League’s overall transfer record remains Alexander Isak’s 125 million-pound switch from Newcastle to Liverpool last year, according to AP and Reuters. Chelsea’s previous club record was the 115 million pounds paid to Brighton & Hove Albion for Ecuador midfielder Moises Caicedo in 2023.
Rogers, 23, has signed a contract with Chelsea that runs until 2033, the club said. In comments published on Chelsea’s website, Rogers said he was excited by the move and described the club as one he had admired since childhood.
“For me, Chelsea are the biggest club in London and a club I’ve always admired since I was a kid,” Rogers told the club’s website. He also pointed to Alonso’s plans, Chelsea’s squad and the direction of the club as reasons for joining.
Alonso adds another attacking option
Rogers becomes the third prominent off-season signing of Alonso’s tenure at Chelsea, after wing backs Marco Palestra and Geovany Quenda, according to AP and Reuters. The London club begin their Premier League season away to Fulham on August 24.
Rogers arrives after a productive spell at Villa. AP and Reuters reported that he scored 21 goals in 85 Premier League appearances for the Birmingham club and helped Villa finish in the top four last season, as well as win the Europa League.
Villa signed Rogers from Middlesbrough in February 2024 for a reported 8 million pounds, about $10.5 million, according to AP and Reuters. His rise since then has taken him into England’s senior side and now to one of the largest transfer fees attached to a British player.
Rogers made his England debut in November 2024 and has earned 22 caps, AP and Reuters reported. He was part of the England squad that finished third at the World Cup last week after beating France in the third-place match, following a 2-1 semifinal defeat to Argentina.
The transfer places Rogers at the center of Chelsea’s latest rebuild under Alonso. For Villa, it means losing one of the players credited by AP and Reuters with helping drive last season’s league and European success.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.