In a summer when even Newcastle United – in the Champions League and effectively owned by a nation state – can seem powerless to stop their prized asset taking a step up the food chain, it would be quite some show of strength by Aston Villa to remain firm in the face of persistent interest in their most valuable commodity. And we’re not talking about Ollie Watkins.
This has been the summer of non-elite asset-stripping, with fifth-placed Newcastle likely to follow Nottingham Forest (7th), Brighton (8th), Bournemouth (9th) and Brentford (10th) in losing at least one player each for over £50m. The last club standing in that top half of the table – outside the financial behemoths – are Aston Villa, who have barely dabbled in transfer ins or outs this summer.
They may well come under pressure from Manchester United – bizarrely briefing that they have a two-man striker shortlist – on Watkins. The official line is that the England striker is not for sale at any price but a bid north of £50m for a 29-year-old who seriously saw his arse at a push towards the fringes after the Great Villa Loan Gamble should surely be seriously considered. And then accepted.
Watkins aside, whose exit may well be a pragmatic one, the real question mark is against the name of Morgan Rogers, with Chelsea and Liverpool said to be very interested. Indeed, Chelsea are so interested that Nicolas Jackson and Tosin Adarabioyo have been mentioned as makeweights, which might appeal to Villa on a pure numbers basis as their squad looks ludicrously thin again after loanees returned to their parent clubs.
Little is known about Rogers’ stance, but it seems unlikely that a player who thrived in the Champions League last season would not be tempted by another elite European campaign, especially as we approach the World Cup. Six caps hardly makes him a shoo-in for the England squad, particularly if Eberechi Eze gets the Arsenal move he craves.
Villa do hold the considerable card of a Rogers contract signed in November that gives them some protection until 2030, but the fact that the club are apparently opening talks about ‘a new contract to reflect his status as a key player’ (The Athletic) suggests some nervousness about Rogers’ contentment.
Villa have not lost a first-team starter to another Premier League club since Jack Grealish’s release clause was met by Manchester City four years ago; they were given the £110m-plus gift of a double exit to Saudi Arabia last season, while Douglas Luiz was a PSR-led sale, but Rogers is the first player since Grealish who could argue that his ambitions now outstrip those of his club. He might need some persuading to sign a new deal when the great Villa optimism is that Donyell Malen benefits from a full pre-season.
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