Morgan Rogers has completed his £117million move from Aston Villa to Chelsea. The 23-year-old forward joins Xabi Alonso's side in a record fee for a British player, surpassing the £116m Manchester City paid for Elliot Anderson earlier this summer.
Record transfer and club ambitions
Rogers had been Arsenal's top transfer priority this window, but Chelsea moved quickly to secure his services. The club teased the announcement on Tuesday evening with a video showing an old-school radio broadcasting: "Welcome back to Cobham FM, London is finally starting to cool down." The video referenced Rogers' 'ice cold' celebration, which he shares with new teammate Cole Palmer.
In his first words since signing, Rogers said: "I'm so excited. For me, Chelsea are the biggest club in London and a club I've always admired since I was a kid. I'm really excited about the project with the new manager, the players we've got and where the club is heading. That's why I'm here and I can't wait to get started."
Recent form and international duty
The England international arrives after a stellar season, scoring 10 goals and adding six assists in the league, plus three goals and five assists in Villa's Europa League-winning campaign. He will join the Chelsea squad after their pre-season tour of Australia, having just finished his World Cup campaign with England. In North America, Rogers played seven games and laid on one assist, starting the semi-final defeat by Argentina on the right wing.
