Top English Player Open to Old Trafford Move | OneFootball

This story is so explosive I’ve had to call the bomb squad! Earlier today we got word from sources inside Manchester United that they have formally contacted Aston Villa to begin negotiations for none other than Morgan Rogers.

The 23 year old English international is understood to be quite open to switching the claret and blue for red as long as specific conditions are met.

Rogers’ Rocket Trajectory

Rogers made his professional debut in 2019 for West Bromwich Albion as a late substitute in a FA Cup tie. That summer he was signed by Manchester City. He earned minutes with City’s U23s, then had loan spells with Lincoln City, Bournemouth and Blackpool over the next two seasons. While his talent was evident, he never got enough regular minutes to make any significant impact. City transferred him to Middlesbrough for a nominal $1.4M and a 25% sell-on clause in the summer of 2023.

In Boro’s run to the Carabao Cup semi-finals, he scored five goals and three assists in six games, the top contributor for the club. Aston Villa took notice and eagerly snapped him up on an $9M transfer, with performance incentives that drove that north of $15M. 

Since his February move back in 2024 Rogers took a few months to get acclimated to Unai Emery’s system. But starting with the 2024-25 season he has become an integral part of the Aston Villa squad. He earned double-digit contributions (14g/16a) across all competitions, and got his first call-up for England.

Rogers is widely heralded as one of the finer attacking midfielders in the Premier League, blessed with pace, physicality, vision, and a rocket of an outside shot. He’s tough, too, with only three games missed in the past five seasons.

Transfer Details

In his time with Villa, the club has participated in all three UEFA competitions: Conference, Champions and the current Europa League. Interestingly, Manchester United’s qualification for the Champions League is one of Rogers’ transfer conditions. He’s supped from that sweet CL spring and wants more!

The final negotiating point is price. We understand United’s offer will be in the $120M range, making him one of the most expensive transfers in recent years, and falling a few million short of the fee Villa extracted for Jack Grealish back in 2021.

Regardless of price, the idea of Rogers in a Red Devils kit is mouthwatering. His age and potential could make him a key player for United for years to come.