Chelsea are closing in on the signing of Aston Villa forward Morgan Rogers after agreeing a British-record £117 million deal for the England international.
The Blues have reached an agreement with Villa for the 23-year-old, with the transfer set to surpass the previous British transfer record.
Rogers was also Arsenal’s top target this summer, but Chelsea moved quickly to secure the deal.
The forward was spotted arriving for his Chelsea medical on Monday, July 20, with cameras capturing his arrival as the move edges closer to being completed.
Chelsea move swiftly
Chelsea have acted decisively after identifying Rogers as one of their top attacking targets.
The club are expected to hand the England international a six-year contract, with the transfer becoming another major statement of intent under new head coach Xabi Alonso.
Rogers enjoyed an outstanding spell at Aston Villa after joining from Middlesbrough in early 2024.
His performances established him as one of the Premier League’s brightest young attackers and earned him regular England recognition.
In the 2025/26 season, the England international scored 14 goals and added 11 assists in 55 appearances for Villa.
Capable of playing across the front line or as an attacking midfielder, Rogers is expected to add further quality and versatility to Chelsea’s attacking options.
Arsenal miss out
Arsenal had spent months pursuing Rogers and viewed him as their priority attacking signing this summer.
However, Chelsea’s willingness to meet Villa’s valuation proved decisive, allowing the Stamford Bridge club to overtake their Premier League rivals in the race for his signature.
Villa had been reluctant to sell one of their star players, but the size of Chelsea’s offer eventually convinced the Midlands club to do business.
The £117m fee eclipses the previous British transfer record of £116m recently set by Elliot Anderson to Manchester City, underlining just how highly Rogers is rated after his rapid rise over the past two seasons.
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Official announcement expected soon
With his medical reportedly complete, the final paperwork is expected to be completed before Chelsea officially announce the signing.
Rogers is set to become one of the biggest arrivals of the summer transfer window as Chelsea continue to strengthen ahead of the new campaign.
The move also marks another significant investment in young English talent as the Blues look to build a squad capable of challenging for major honours under Alonso.
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