Chelsea have reportedly beaten Arsenal to the signing of Aston Villa attacker Morgan Rogers.
Fighting off the Premier League champions is a real signal of intent as new manager Xabi Alonso looks to make an instant impact at Stamford Bridge.
Rogers enjoyed another impressive season with Aston Villa as he scored 14 goals and registered 12 assists in all competitions to help Unai Emery's side finish fourth in the Premier League and win the UEFA Europa League.
Reports from a number of respected journalists have suggested the bid Chelsea have had accepted is worth a massive £117m as they look to build a squad that will improve on a disappointing campaign in 2025/26.
Middlesbrough's Potential Windfall
Reports surrounding a potential move being completed for Rogers will be music to the ears of Middlesbrough supporters.
The 23-year-old joined the North East club in 2023 from Manchester City, and didn't even spent a full season at the Riverside Stadium before signing for Villa in the January window.
Villa reportedly paid £8million for Rogers' services, with the fee potentially rising to £15m based on performance-related bonuses.
Manchester City were entitled to 25% of the fee, but it is understood that their entitlement related exclusively to the move to Villa rather than any future transfers.
Meanwhile Middlesbrough negotiated a 20% sell-on clause into their agreement with Villa, meaning they will pocket a fifth of any profit made on his move away from the West Midlands.
Therefore, if the figure is based on the £15million including performance-related bonuses that Villa paid, should the reported £117million to sign Rogers go through, Middlesbrough would be entitled to a potential windfall of over £20million.
That figure would likely represent a world-record for a sell-on fee, rivalling the money Ecuadorian club Independiente del Valle received when Moises Caicedo joined Chelsea from Brighton in 2023 for a fee in excess of £100million.
