Aston Villa star’s value soars through £100m as journalist fears ‘sale stance will be tested’ | OneFootball

Aston Villa’s determination to retain the services of Morgan Rogers is expected to be ‘severely tested’ this summer with a mega-money sale not ruled out and with both Liverpool and Chelsea huge admirers of the star one journalist has branded “a joy to watch”.

The 23-year-old playmaker moved to Aston Villa just over two years ago, costing an initial £8m from Middlesbrough, but with the fee ultimately rising to double that after bonuses and add-ons were factored in. Arriving to something of a lukewarm reception at the time, Rogers – a graduate of the Manchester City academy – has quickly proved one of the best buys in recent years, seeing his value soar and becoming one of the first names on the teamsheet for club and country.

Now valued in excess of £100m (€116m, $137m) and coveted by all the sides in the big six, Rogers was rewarded for his fast start at Villa Park with a new contract back in November which ties him to the club until June 2031.

Yet despite the protection of that bumper new deal, The Athletic’s Aston Villa writer, Mark Carey, believes Villa could face a big battle to retain Rogers’ services this summer, with his stellar form under Unai Emery and likely starring role at the World Cup earmarking him as one of the most ‘coveted’ stars in the Premier League.

With nine goals and seven assists from 34 appearances this season so far, it’s easy to see why Rogers is in such high demand.

And with both Liverpool and Chelsea – the latter who could yet be seeking a replacement for Cole Palmer this summer – both linked with moves, Carey believes that ‘admirers from both within the Premier League and overseas’ are ‘not expected to be dissuaded’ by Villa’s desire to make him the heartbeat of their side, nor his long contract.

Indeed, Carey fears that Villa’s stance to retain Rogers this summer will be ‘severely tested’, admitting it will be ‘intriguing to see how Villa respond’ and ‘especially should they miss out on qualification for the 2026/27 Champions League.’

While Carey believes the long contract protects Villa to a degree from unwelcome predators, he admits the rapid strides he has made and the trajectory he is on, make him ‘a joy to watch’ and that ‘nothing is off limit’ as to how high his career can soar.

Writing back in September, our transfer insider Dean Jones knew all too well why Villa rated the player so highly and why his valuation could see him become Villa’s second £100m footballer after Jack Grealish – were he to be sold.

‘Sources close to Villa say Rogers could genuinely be valued at £100million by the new year, when the January window market opens. But they would not be likely to sell him halfway through a season anyway.

‘And if he retains top form throughout the whole season then there is very little doubt he will be labelled as a £100million player by next summer – particularly as Rogers is contracted at Villa Park through to the summer of 2031.’

Jones added: ‘The 23-year-old has established himself as one of the most exciting attacking players in the Premier League since his breakout and there is a determination to hold on to him.

‘Through last summer, there was an understanding through sources that Rogers was priced at £80million internally back then, while there were also messages that he was one player they could not consider losing.’

If Carey is right, though, and that resolve will be tested this summer, Villa would likely be looking at insisting on a fee in excess of the one which saw Grealish join Man City for £100m and potentially on a par with the £116m package Liverpool paid for Florian Wirtz.

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Meanwhile, a fresh report has revealed how Aston Villa ‘explored’ a shock January transfer window swoop for a standout Everton star who, at the time, would have been out of contract this summer.

Elsewhere, Liverpool and Aston Villa are reportedly ready to modify the terms around Harvey Elliott’s £35m transfer last summer and turn the new arrangement into something that both Arne Slot and Emery will love.