Baku, July 22, AZERTAC
Morgan Rogers has completed his record switch from Aston Villa to Chelsea, ESPN reported.
Chelsea agreed a deal to sign Rogers from Villa for £117 million ($157.28m), sources told ESPN, which makes him the most expensive British player ever -- surpassing the fee that Manchester City paid for Elliot Anderson this summer by £1m.
He has signed a six-year deal with the London club.
Arsenal had also been in the hunt for Rogers but he has opted to join Xabi Alonso at Stamford Bridge.
"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," Rogers said on the club's website.
'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."
The 23-year-old cited the arrival of Alonso, who officially started at Stamford Bridge on July 1, as one of the reasons behind his decision.
'I've had a few conversations with him and I think it's important for me to be here that I need to understand what the manager's like, how he is and how he wants to operate," he said.
"It very much fits with the way I see the game, the way I want to play, and the way I want to be me, and be free and express myself. Him being a part of that was a massive factor in me being here."
Rogers had been on England duty this summer at the World Cup, where he notably started in their semifinal loss to Argentina, assisting Anthony Gordon for the Three Lions' goal.
He earned a spot in the squad after an impressive Premier League campaign last year. Overall Rogers has scored 31 goals in 125 Villa games.
Middlesbrough, who sold Rogers to Villa in 2024 for £15m, are set to receive a sell-on fee after his latest switch to Chelsea, sources have told ESPN.