Emile Heskey has suggested it would be ‘overkill’ for Chelsea to pursue a move for Morgan Rogers despite the Aston Villa midfielder’s clear talent.
The Blues have already made a string of big signings this summer, with Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens and Estevao all arriving.
However, boosted by their money-spinning Club World Cup triumph, Chelsea appear to not be finished in the transfer market just yet.
Reports now suggest that Enzo Maresca’s side are exploring an ambitious move for Morgan Rogers who has also previously attracted interest from Arsenal.
The England international has thrived under Unai Emery’s tutelage since his move from Middlesbrough in January 2024 and notched up eight goals and 10 assists in the Premier League last season.
Get personalised updates on Aston Villa every day
Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro’s Football Newsletter.
Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link we’ll send you so we can get football news tailored to you.
Villa are not keen to sell Rogers despite their concerning financial situation, but may give serious consideration to an offer in the region of £80m.
However, while full of praise for the midfielder’s talent, Heskey urged both the club and the player to consider if the move would make sense given Chelsea’s plethora of options in attacking
‘I think he’s ready. But it’d be interesting to see Chelsea try to get him, because Villa don’t really need to be selling their prize assets,’ Heskey told BestBettingSites.co.uk.
‘But we keep coming back to PSR, and clubs will now always way up a good offer for their players, and selling Rogers might help them balance the books, and he’s one of their most valuable players.
‘I’m not sure where he’d fit in with Chelsea right now, though, even if Raheem Sterling and Noni Madueke go. He’s going to be behind Cole Palmer in the pecking order.’
Heskey continued: ‘It would be interesting as it’s another Manchester City player who might make their way to Chelsea, but I think he should spend another year at Villa, at least.
‘He’s going well, the club are on the up, and they could break into that top four this season. That’s a really big challenge and a good one for him, too.
‘I think if he did go to Chelsea, he could be fantastic, but for Chelsea it might be overkill, buying players for the sake of it.’
Chelsea are still looking to sell several players this summer to streamline Maresca’s squad ahead of the new season.
Noni Madueke looks set to join Arsenal, while Christopher Nkunku and Joao Felix are expected to leave Stamford Bridge before the start of next season.
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.