Carrick recommends Wilcox bring £100m-plus attacker to Man Utd – Exclusive | OneFootball

Michael Carrick has given a glowing endorsement of Morgan Rogers as Manchester United weigh up a summer move for the Aston Villa star, TEAMtalk can exclusively reveal, while there could also be implications on the future of Cole Palmer.

Carrick – who is on course to take the Man Utd job on a permanent basis – knows Rogers well from their time together at Middlesbrough and has made it clear internally that he believes the England international would be a strong fit for his system.

His recommendation to director of football Jason Wilcox has only strengthened United’s interest as they look to bolster their attacking options, although any move for Rogers will not come cheap.

TEAMtalk understands that Aston Villa will demand a club-record fee if they are forced into a sale this summer, despite continuing to insist they do not want to lose one of their prized assets.

The 23-year-old signed a new long-term contract in November last year, and sources indicate that no release clause was included — leaving Villa fully in control of his future and valuation.

Villa’s current record sale remains the £100million departure of Jack Grealish to Manchester City in 2021, and insiders believe Rogers is now valued at a similar level.

The club view him as one of Europe’s most in-demand attacking midfielders, while a 20 per cent sell-on clause owed to former club Middlesbrough further inflates their asking price.

While Villa maintain they are not actively looking to sell, there is an awareness of financial pressures linked to UEFA regulations.

A major outgoing could ease those concerns heading into the summer window, even if it is not the preferred outcome.

United are not alone in their admiration, with Chelsea firmly in the conversation, as previously revealed on this website.

Chelsea ‘pushing hard’ for Rogers-Palmer pairing

Chelsea are determined to position themselves at the front of the queue, with co-director of recruitment Joe Shields playing a leading role in their pursuit.

Shields previously worked with Rogers during his time at Manchester City and is understood to be pushing hard to bring him to Stamford Bridge.

The Blues see Rogers as part of a long-term attacking plan alongside Cole Palmer, with the pair viewed as a potentially exciting partnership for the future.

However, there is also a potential twist to the situation. TEAMtalk understands that should Rogers make the move to Chelsea, Manchester United would intensify their pursuit of long-term target Cole Palmer.

United are confirmed admirers of Palmer, and Rogers heading to West London could open the door for a move to Old Trafford, although Chelsea remain keen for the two close friends to reunite on the pitch, having previously played together in Manchester City’s youth ranks where their strong relationship was formed.

Arsenal have also carried out background work on Rogers as they assess options to strengthen the left side of their attack.

As TEAMtalk has previously revealed, the Gunners have looked into a number of wide players, including Anthony Gordon, Yan Diomande, Nico Williams and Rafa Leao – with Rogers now emerging as another strong candidate.

Despite the growing interest from several Premier League giants, Villa remain in a powerful position and will only entertain offers that match their lofty valuation – setting up the prospect of a major transfer battle in the months ahead.