Chelsea announce signing of Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers for record £117 million

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rogers-morgan/lp4jm80n/"]Rogers[/a] had been heavily linked with a move to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/arsenal/hA1Zm19f/"]Arsenal[/a], but Chelsea hijacked the move at the end of last week to bring the player to Stamford Bridge.[/p][p]"[b]I'm so excited[/b]," said Rogers. "[b]For me, Chelsea are the biggest club in London and a club I've always admired since I was a kid[/b].[/p][p]"[b]I'm really excited about the project with the new manager, the players we've got and where the club is heading. That's why I'm here and I can't wait to get started[/b]."[/p][embed guid="d3602e31-d2d0-4e7d-aa33-efd395879348" url="https://x.com/ChelseaFC/status/2079669202546237948" social-type="twitter" /][p]He arrives at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chelsea/4fGZN2oK/"]Chelsea[/a] after featuring six times for England at the 2026 World Cup, with his impressive form at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/aston-villa/W00wmLO0/"]Villa[/a] earning a call-up to Thomas Tuchel's squad.[/p][p]The midfielder made 125 appearances for Villa, registering 31 goals and 29 assists in a significant jump in quality from previous spells at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/middlesbrough/6F0lvLNC/"]Middlesbrough[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/lincoln-city/hrHTRs5B/"]Lincoln[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bournemouth/OtpNdwrc/"]Bournemouth[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/blackpool/8EFIJthC/"]Blackpool[/a].[/p][p]He first emerged as part of a highly successful [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-city/Wtn9Stg0/"]Manchester City[/a] youth academy side and links back up with former teammates [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/palmer-cole/h8agbDt7/"]Cole Palmer[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/delap-liam/6cfkytBh/"]Liam Delap[/a] at Stamford Bridge.[/p][p]Rogers becomes Chelsea's marquee signing under new manager [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alonso-xabi/hAcTWKKN/"]Xabi Alonso[/a], surpassing the transfer record set earlier in the window after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/anderson-elliott/KdYCbsbE/"]Elliot Anderson[/a]'s move to Manchester City (£116m).[/p][p][b]“I’ve had a few conversations with Xabi Alonso. It’s important for me to be here that I need to understand what the manager’s like, how he is, how he wants to operate[/b]," he said.[/p][embed guid="3f97dd68-152f-460a-8307-161b241c0edc" url="https://x.com/ChelseaFC/status/2079673212657360991" social-type="twitter" /][p]“[b]It very much fits with the way I see the game, the way I want to play, to be me, be free, and express myself[/b]. [/p][p]"[b]Him being a part of that was a massive decision for me to be here[/b]."[/p]