Chelsea have confirmed the signing of Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa for a reported £117million.
Rogers quickly became a crucial player for Unai Emery since his move to Villa Park from Championship side Middlesbrough. The England international provided 18 goals and assists in the Premier League in his first full season, followed by 16 last term.
After a few years with Villa, Rogers clearly feels it’s time for him to make the step up. The former Middlesbrough man has sacrificed European football in order to make the move to Stamford Bridge. But he will be linking up with his close friend Cole Palmer.
Palmer and Rogers spent time together at Manchester City‘s academy, and Chelsea will be hoping they can rekindle their connection on the pitch.
Morgan Rogers analysis:
Where does Rogers fit at Chelsea?
Rogers’ versatility could make him a useful option for Chelsea. The 23-year-old can play through the middle of attack, on the left-hand side, and was given a rare opportunity on the right for England at the World Cup.
For Villa, Rogers predominantly found himself playing on the left-hand side, whether that was by drifting out left when playing centrally, or by starting out wide and coming into central areas.
Xabi Alonso recently hinted that Alejandro Garnacho could be heading through the exit door this summer. That opens up a spot on the left-hand side, where Rogers could fit in nicely.
Alonso likes to have his full-backs, and sometimes wing-backs, getting high up the pitch. Having a player like Rogers on the left, who drifts into the central areas to create space out wide, could be ideal for Alonso’s system.
Neither Garnacho, Pedro Neto, nor Jamie Gittens have managed to nail down a starting role on the left-hand side. This opens the door for Rogers to make the left-wing position his own at Chelsea.
We could also see Rogers play more centrally at Chelsea, depending on the future of Enzo Fernandez. This could be hugely beneficial to Chelsea, with Rogers often wanting to drift out left to find space. He will also look to create combinations on the right-hand side, considering his relationship with Palmer.
Rogers a difference-maker
Rogers is quite a unique player when it comes to scoring goals. The data suggests Rogers shouldn’t have scored as many goals as he did for Villa in the Premier League last season.
It’s rare to see Rogers finding the back of the net from a few yards out. In fact, only one of his goals was from inside the six-yard box last campaign. In the Premier League, three of Rogers’ goals came from outside the box, while four of them came from just inside, usually coming in from the left.
Every team could do with signing a player who is capable of producing magic out of nowhere, and Chelsea are no different.
Only one Chelsea player scored more than 10 goals in the Premier League last season, so there’s no doubt they need more creativity and to find goals from elsewhere. Rogers offers both creativity and the ability to score goals from nothing, and his versatility means he could instantly become a starter in various positions for Chelsea.
Comparing to Chelsea’s options
Neto and Garnacho were the primary options for Chelsea on the left-hand side of attack. That does feel like the most likely position for Rogers due to Palmer and Fernandez being capable of playing centrally, while Neto and Garnacho flattered to deceive.
To put it bluntly, Rogers outperforms Garnacho and Neto in almost every attacking aspect. The England international is a strong duel winner, making him more effective out of possession, while also being a serious threat on the ball in the final third.
Rogers is always looking to play positively, attempting to find a team-mate via throughballs or progressive passes. As previously mentioned, he’s certainly not afraid to have a shot, and he’s accurate and powerful when doing so.
It’s also easy to forget Rogers was producing these numbers in a side that has less of the ball than Chelsea. Rogers will benefit greatly from being in a side that dominates possession, and there’s even a chance their dominance increases under Alonso.
The new Chelsea boss is known for getting the best out of wide and attacking players. Between them, Alex Grimaldo, Florian Wirtz, and Jeremie Frimpong provided 61 Bundesliga goals and assists combined during the season when Bayer Leverkusen went unbeaten.
It’s certainly an expensive deal. Everyone could argue all summer about whether Rogers is worth £117m, but that’s not what matters.
Rogers is undoubtedly going to help Chelsea head back in the right direction. And although the price tag might add a little more pressure, Rogers’ profile could be exactly what Chelsea need.
There’s little reason to suggest it’s not going to work out for him at Stamford Bridge, and it’ll be exciting to see him playing under Alonso.