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 Chelsea's costliest signing ever. The move, which comes as new manager Xabi Alonso reshapes his squad ahead of the new Premier League season, is a coup for Chelsea given the club missed out on European football last term, and raises questions over how Rogers will fit alongside fellow attacker Cole Palmer, his close friend and former Manchester City academy teammate.

The 23-year-old 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. 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 2024, stand to earn at least £20.4m via a sell-on clause. Rogers scored 21 goals in 85 league games for Villa and won the Europa League last season, and his exit follows Youri Tielemans' £35m move to Manchester United, with Villa having already brought in Johan Manzambi and lined up Joao Gomes as replacements.