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The end for Cole Palmer? What Chelsea's £117m Morgan Rogers signing really means
22 Jul 2026 07:53 BST |
4 min read
Analysis
Chelsea have completed the biggest transfer of the summer to sign Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa for £117 million (€138m).
The Blues have shattered their club record to sign the England international attacker from their Premier League rivals, also breaking the Premier League mark in the process.
It is a deal that threatens Cole Palmer’s status at Chelsea, with Rogers having thrived in the No.10 role at Aston Villa. Does his arrival at Stamford Bridge therefore signal the end for his good friend?
Compared
Cole Palmer
M (C)
Chelsea
Cole Palmer
M (C)
Chelsea
VS
Morgan Rogers
M (CL), AM (L)
Chelsea
Morgan Rogers
M (CL), AM (L)
Chelsea
|
|
ETV |
|
| €93.1M - €113.8M | ETV Range | €58.6M - €71.7M |
| 24 years old (06 May, 2002) | Age | 23 years old (26 Jul, 2002) |
|
England
|
Nationality |
England
|
The end for Cole Palmer?
Palmer was linked with a move away from Chelsea earlier this year, with reports indicating that he was homesick and seeking a return to Manchester, where he came through the City academy alongside Rogers.
These have since been dismissed, both by the player and by the club, and the clear stance of the Londoners is that Palmer is not a figure they have earmarked to lose.
Kaveh Solhekal, Sky Sports’ chief correspondent, explained:
“There are no indications that Chelsea want to sell Palmer, far from it. He's tied down to a very long contract and just before the end of the season, he gave a newspaper interview in which he said he was happy at Chelsea and was happy living in London.
“There have been reports seeming to suggest that he may want to move back to the north west, that one day he wants to play for Manchester United, but I think he would cost so much that there are not many clubs who would be able to buy Palmer if Chelsea wanted to sell him.”
Can Palmer and Rogers play together?
The man tasked with fitting both Palmer and Rogers into the same team is Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso.
It remains unclear which system the Spaniard is planning to use at Stamford Bridge. At Real Madrid, he operated with a 4-2-3-1, yet in his previous role as Bayer Leverkusen head coach, where he enjoyed tremendous success, his stock formation was 3-4-2-1.
Rogers and Palmer would be most at home playing together as the two No.10s in the latter of these systems, but using them together in a 4-2-3-1 also cannot be discounted.
Rogers is capable of playing wide on either wing. This was highlighted when he created England’s opening goal in the World Cup semi-final against Argentina with a cross from the right that was turned in by Anthony Gordon. He has already been tipped to play a role as an auxiliary left winger, which is something Arsenal were also planning for him before Chelsea spectacularly hijacked their deal.
Chelsea's new deadly duo
So Rogers and Palmer absolutely can play together. And they likely will on a weekly basis - at least once the new arrival is up to full speed following the World Cup.
Alonso would be foolish not to exploit their friendship and understanding on the pitch, which helped give rise to the iconic ‘cold’ celebration that has been so regularly seen at Stamford Bridge.
Indeed, rather than put into doubt Palmer’s future at Chelsea, it would seem to cement it further.
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Morgan Rogers transfer failure is a blessing in disguise for Arsenal
Transfer Rumours: Chelsea deal 'expected' as Alex Scott talks opened
