Chelsea have agreed a club-record £117m deal to sign England midfielder Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa, making him the most expensive transfer for an English player and the costliest signing in Chelsea's history. The move comes as new manager Xabi Alonso reshapes his squad ahead of the new Premier League season, and is seen as a coup for Chelsea given the club missed out on European football last term after finishing 10th. It also raises questions over how the 23-year-old will fit alongside Cole Palmer, his close friend and former Manchester City academy teammate, with both players capable of operating across similar attacking positions.

Rogers will sign a six-year contract with a further one-year option and undergo a medical on Monday after returning from England duty at the 2026 World Cup, where he made seven appearances. The fee eclipses the £116m Manchester City paid for Elliot Anderson and surpasses the £107m Chelsea spent on Enzo Fernandez in 2023. Middlesbrough, who sold Rogers to Villa for around £15m in February 2024, stand to earn at least £20.4m in sell-on fees, believed to be an English record. Rogers scored 21 goals in 85 league games for Villa and helped them win the Europa League last season; he is the second Villa midfielder to leave this week after Youri Tielemans' £35m move to Manchester United, with Villa having already recruited Johan Manzambi and lined up Joao Gomes as replacements.