Chelsea complete £117m signing of England star

Chelsea have completed the signing of midfielder Morgan Rogers from Premier League rivals Aston Villa. 

The Blues announced that they had finalised a deal for the Englishman on Tuesday, with BBC Sport claiming that the west London outfit have paid as much as £117 million for the player.

Rogers, 23, was part of the England squad that finished third in the recent World Cup in North America, making seven appearances for the Three Lions at the tournament.

Having joined Villa from Championship side Middlesbrough back in 2024, Rogers scored 31 goals and registered 29 assists in 125 matches in all competitions for the Villans during his time with the club.

In joining Chelsea for such a fee, the midfielder has not only become the Blues’ most expensive ever signing, but also the most expensive player in British football history.

Rogers has completed a move to Chelsea (Photo: PA Images/Alamy)

The London outfit confirmed that Rogers had signed a long-term deal until 2033 upon joining the club, continuing the Blues’ recent policy of tying young players down to long contracts.

Rogers will reunite with former Manchester City academy teammate Cole Palmer at Stamford Bridge, with the duo having also featured together in England age-group sides, as well as at senior level.

Like many of his England teammates, Rogers first made a name for himself in the Football League, most notably with Boro.

The Englishman also had loan spells with Lincoln City and Blackpool during his time on the books at Man City, before departing permanently for The Riverside in 2023.

Rogers will likely make his professional debut for Chelsea during their first game of the new Premier League season, against west London neighbours Fulham on the opening weekend of the new campaign.

He could feature for Xabi Alonso’s side during pre-season, but it isn’t yet clear whether or not the player will be given an extended break after representing England in the latter stages of the World Cup.