Morgan Rogers: Liverpool deny talks for Villa star as Man United circle | OneFootball

Manchester United’s pursuit of Morgan Rogers has reignited after sources revealed Liverpool have not held talks for the 23-year-old magician – but a new competitor now threatens to blow the race wide open, according to the latest report.

The English Magician

Despite a relatively inauspicious start to life in English football, Rogers has exploded into one of the Premier League’s most decisive players since joining Aston Villa.

After coming through the ranks at West Bromwich Albion, the attacking midfielder joined Manchester City’s academy in 2019. However, he failed to break through at the Etihad, leaving to join Middlesbrough in 2023 – under the tutelage of Michael Carrick.

The 44-year-old coach, now in charge of the Red Devils as caretaker, helped Rogers realise his outstanding potential, quickly establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with in the Championship.

His outstanding form at the Riverside Stadium as helped propel ‘Boro to the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup, caught the eye of Aston Villa. The Midlands club moving quickly to bring him to Birmingham in February 2024 for a fee worth an initial £8 million.

A quiet start was followed by Rogers’ breakout campaign the following season, with a full pre-season under his belt, which saw him return 14 goals and 16 assists in all competitions at Villa Park. He’s followed this up with 10 goals and seven assists this year, as he has firmly established himself as one of the division’s best No. 10s and is a lock to go to the World Cup with England this summer.

In fact, Rogers’ form has been so impressive that he has displaced Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham at the heart of the Three Lions midfield, with manager Thomas Tuchel a huge fan of the Villa maestro. And these performances have not gone unnoticed amongst England’s elite either.

United on the hunt

Manchester United are understood to hold Rogers in “high regard” and are monitoring his situation at Villa Park closely, according to well-placed sources.

The Red Devils were even said to be pondering a blockbuster offer to lure him to Old Trafford as INEOS see the Englishman as a “key reinforcement” for the project. However, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are also on the hunt, with the Merseyside club initially believed to be leading the charge after holding talks with the player’s camp.

But TEAMtalk now claims sources at Anfield reject these negotiations, while figures close to Rogers also deny “speaking to any club amid growing interest across Europe”.

This places Manchester United back among the competing back for West Midlands native, though any pursuit will depend on the future of Bruno Fernandes, with Portugal international continuing to be linked with a bombshell exit his summer.

If the club captain were to depart, it would send shockwaves across Old Trafford and put the club in a precarious position. It would require the capture of an outstanding talent like Rogers to steady this sinking ship, though it’s important to be realistic about the irreplaceable nature of Fernandes.

However, TEAMtalk reveals Paris Saint-Germain have entered the race for Rogers with the Ligue 1 giant “hugely impressed” by his performances in the Champions League clashes versus Villa last season.

“PSG have maintained a watching brief ever since and are expected to remain in the conversation should the landscape shift,” the report details.

Final Thoughts

For now, the race remains wide open while Rogers is said to be “fully focused on Villa and England” and his camp have firmly rejected “any suggestion they are laying groundwork for a move” this summer.

This gives Manchester United the ability to jump the growing queue for the 23-year-old if they choose, but it will require a mammoth fee to prise him away from Villa Park and the exit of Fernandes first to make room for his successor’s arrival. One will not happen without the other.

Featured image Michael Regan via Getty Images

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