Just a few weeks after Manchester City broke the English transfer record for Elliot Anderson, that record is already history. Chelsea FC is paying Aston Villa a whopping 137 million euros for the services of Morgan Rogers.
It had been in the works for some time, and now the deal is done. Morgan Rogers is leaving Aston Villa to join Chelsea FC. The 23-year-old signed a long-term contract at Stamford Bridge running through June 30, 2033.
“For me, Chelsea is the biggest club in London and a club I’ve admired since I was a kid,” the English World Cup player (seven appearances, two assists) is quoted as saying in Chelsea’s announcement of the deal. “I’m really looking forward to this project with the new coach, to the players, and to seeing how the club develops. That’s why I’m here, and I can’t wait to get started.”
The clubs did not release any official details regarding the transfer fee, but it’s a hefty one. Most recently, The Athletic, among others, reported that Chelsea FC is paying a staggering 137 million euros for the signing—a new record fee for an English player. This means Elliot Anderson likely held the title of England’s record transfer in the Premier League for only a short time; Manchester City had shelled out around 135 million euros for its new signing about three weeks ago.
Europa League triumph as the crowning achievement
Even as Rogers was preparing with the Three Lions for the third-place match against France at the World Cup, the Blues had already reached an agreement with Aston Villa on the transfer terms. In doing so, Chelsea also prevailed over city rival and champion Arsenal, which is said to have also shown interest in the 23-year-old.
Rogers had moved from Middlesbrough to Birmingham in the spring of 2024, where he had already earned a spot on the senior national team in his first year. The attacking player has since made 22 international appearances for England—seven of them at the 2026 World Cup finals.
For the Villans, Rogers racked up 125 appearances (31 goals, 29 assists) in two and a half years. Last season, he played a major role in Aston Villa’s Europa League triumph with three goals and five assists; the team won its first-ever international title with a 3-0 victory over SC Freiburg—which included a goal and an assist from Rogers.
The fact that Villa had already qualified directly for the Champions League by finishing fourth in the Premier League was also due in large part to strong performances by the forward, who can play both on the wings and in attacking midfield. Rogers scored ten goals and provided seven assists in the 2025–26 Premier League season.
No international soccer with Chelsea
After about a year and a half under successful coach Unai Emery, Rogers will now take instructions from Xabi Alonso, who officially took the helm at the Blues on July 1. For Chelsea, which finished last season in a disappointing 10th place in the standings, the new signing is even willing to accept an entire season without international soccer.
The West London club, on the other hand, is sending a clear signal of confidence with the enormous transfer fee—and at the same time making Rogers their club’s record signing by surpassing the previous record set for Enzo Fernández (who joined from Benfica Lisbon in the winter of 2023 for 121 million euros). Meanwhile, the Premier League record is still held by Alexander Isak, for whom Liverpool FC paid Newcastle United 144 million euros last year.