£100m Morgan Rogers, Aston Villa twist will have Middlesbrough on red alert | OneFootball

Middlesbrough have a lucrative sell-on clause from their deal to sell Morgan Rogers in January 2024

Middlesbrough are in the mix to earn promotion to the Premier League this season under Kim Hellberg.

The Teesside outfit appointed the Swede as head coach in November after Rob Edwards jumped ship to Wolves just a few months into his tenure at the club.

Boro haven’t competed in the top flight since 2017, and have reached the play-offs just twice since then — most recently in 2024 under Michael Carrick.

Hellberg’s side faces competition from Ipswich Town and Millwall in the battle for the second automatic promotion spot, with Coventry City clear ahead in first.

The three clubs will go into this weekend’s round of Championship action all level on points with 72, although Kieran McKenna’s team have two fixtures in hand.

Middlesbrough will also already have one eye on the summer transfer market, and one major move that could impact their business involves former player Morgan Rogers, who departed in the 2023 January window.

Aston Villa set firm Morgan Rogers asking price

It has been reported by The Telegraph that an initial asking price of £90 million has been set by Aston Villa for ex-Boro player Rogers.

However, it’s believed that the figure could rise to £100 million with a potential bidding war on the club’s hands this summer.

Manchester United, PSG, Arsenal and Chelsea have all been credited with an interest in the playmaker, who has enjoyed a strong campaign at Villa Park.

It is understood that Middlesbrough will earn 20 per cent of any profit Aston Villa earn from the sale of the 23-year-old.

The Championship side agreed a deal worth up to £15 million for Rogers just over two years ago, so a sale of £100 million would net Boro around £17 million.

Rogers has enjoyed a standout campaign for Villa, who are competing for a place in the Champions League.

Emery’s side also took a major step towards reaching the semi-finals of the Europa League with a 3-1 away win against Bologna on Thursday in the first leg of their quarter-final.

The 23-year-old has contributed eight goals and five assists in the Premier League so far this term, with Villa sitting fourth in the table.

Meanwhile, Middlesbrough are third in the Championship with just five games to go.

Next up for Hellberg’s side is a home clash against Portsmouth on Saturday in a 3pm kick-off, as they look to end their five match winless run.

Morgan Rogers windfall would be huge for Middlesbrough

A fee in the region of £17 million would exceed the original sum Middlesbrough earned from Rogers’ actual sale to Villa, so the club will absolutely be keeping a close eye on this transfer saga.

That is the kind of fee that could be extremely helpful if Boro can get promoted, as that can help fund an additional signing that could go towards surviving in the division.

And if Hellberg’s side are still in the Championship, then it might prevent one of their key players from needing to be sold to keep a healthy balance sheet.

The value of a sell-on clause to clubs at this level remains extremely worthwhile, and every major sale to a Premier League side should include one if they can manage it.