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Chelsea receive staggering €150m update on dream World Cup signing
Chelsea have suffered a blow to their hopes of signing Morgan Rogers after learning Aston Villa value the England star at a British record €150million (£130m), according to The Telegraph.
The Athletic reported earlier in June that Chelsea are keen to sign a flexible forward ahead of the 2026-27 season, with Villa talisman Rogers currently at the top of their wishlist.
Rogers is regarded as one of the Premier League’s best attacking midfielders after an excellent 2025-26 campaign, scoring 14 goals in all competitions as Villa clinched Europa League glory.
The 23-year-old also played a crucial role in helping England qualify for this summer’s World Cup, making his first start in the tournament in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Panama in New Jersey.
However, Chelsea are not the only club who admire Rogers, with BBC Sport reporting earlier this month that Premier League champions Arsenal are also interested in him.
But according to The Telegraph, Villa do not want to sell Rogers, who they believe is worth more than England team-mate Elliot Anderson ahead of his €134m (£116m) move to Manchester City from Nottingham Forest.
The same publication claims Villa insist Rogers holds a valuation that eclipses the €145m (£125m) fee Liverpool shelled out on Alexander Isak in a British record transfer last summer.
Villa are also mindful of the fact that Middlesbrough hold a 20 per cent sell-on clause on Rogers, according to The Telegraph. Rogers joined Unai Emery’s Villa from Championship side Boro in a deal worth €17.4m (£15m) in February 2024.
Arsenal also keen on a new midfielder after Guimaraes offer
Widespread reports have indicated Arsenal are also looking to sign a right-back and a flexible central midfielder this summer as they aim to kick on from their Premier League title success last season.
The Athletic reported last week that the Gunners made a verbal offer below €69.5m (£60m) for Bruno Guimaraes, which was rejected out-of-hand by Newcastle United.
BBC Sport understands Arsenal are also sweet on Guimaraes’ Newcastle team-mate Sandro Tonali, who is the subject of rival interest from Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City.
Chelsea slam Maresca after Man City appointment
Meanwhile, The Athletic reported on Sunday that Chelsea tabled a €9.2m (£8m) bid to sign Switzerland international Granit Xhaka, which was swiftly rejected by Premier League counterparts Sunderland.
Chelsea raised eyebrows the following day after releasing an explosive statement which publicly blamed former manager Enzo Maresca for their “hugely disappointing” 2025-26 season.
The Blues finished 10th and outside of the European qualification places last season - a result the club has pinned on Maresca’s decision to resign in December amid interest from Manchester City.
Chelsea’s statement came a few minutes after Maresca was announced as Man City’s new head coach for next season, with the Italian replacing Pep Guardiola on a three-year contract.