Chelsea agree club-record £117m deal to sign Rogers from Villa, reports say

July 18 : Chelsea are set to sign Aston Villa's England midfielder Morgan Rogers on a six-year contract for £117 million ($157 million), a record transfer fee for the west London side, after the Premier League clubs agreed a deal, British media said on Saturday.

Rogers, who can play as a winger or attacking midfielder, will complete his medical at Chelsea on Monday, the reports added, ending a two-year spell at Villa that culminated in a Europa League triumph.

Chelsea, whose previous record signing was the £115 million paid for Ecuador midfielder Moises Caicedo in 2023, beat English champions Arsenal in the race for the 23-year-old, according to the reports.

Rogers, who joined Villa in 2024 from Middlesbrough, made his England debut in November that year. He provided the assist for Anthony Gordon's goal in England's 2-1 World Cup semi-final loss to Argentina on Wednesday.

In January 2025, Rogers scored a hat-trick in Villa's 4-2 Champions League victory over Celtic, and played a prominent role in helping them reach the quarter-finals.

In 2025-26, Rogers had his best season so far, scoring 10 Premier League goals.

In the Europa League final against Freiburg, he provided the assist for Villa's first goal and scored the third in a 3-0 win, helping them to their first major European trophy since 1982.

Chelsea, who finished 10th last season, begin their Premier League campaign at local rivals Fulham on August 24.

($1 = 0.7433 pounds)