The £15 million deal which took Morgan Rogers from Middlesbrough to Aston Villa has taken one former EFL stalwart by ‘surprise’ with the Premier League giants finally signing one of their leading January targets on deadline day.
Six months or so after Middlesbrough sold Chuba Akpom to Ajax, the Championship outfit have earned another eight-month fee for another talented forward.
But that is where the similarities between Akpom and Morgan Rogers end. Akpom got his big break at the Dutch giants after winning the second-tier’s Golden Boot award in 2022/23. Rogers, seven years Akpom’s junior, has found the net only twice in 26 league games himself, with Aston Villa investing in the youngster’s as-yet untapped potential and buying the former Manchester City starlet not for the player he is today but for the one he could become.
Aston Villa seal Morgan Rodgers deal
“Aston Villa’s interest was a bit of a surprise for me, I’ve got to say,” Jobi McAnuff, who represented the likes of West Ham, Crystal Palace and Watford, tells Sky Sports.
“Middlesbrough have done absolutely brilliantly out of the deal. I think they paid in the region of £1 to £1.5 million, and he’s only been there six months. So, from their point of view, it’s the type of deal they can’t refuse.
“(Boro boss) Michael Carrick might be a little bit frustrated because (Rogers) has certainly come into form over the last month or so. From Aston Villa’s point of view, he’s probably one more for the future.
“They’re paying for potential really rather than for someone who’s had an outstanding start to the season.”
Middlesbrough earn big profit
Aston Villa made a number of bids for Rogers before finally agreeing terms with the beaten EFL Cup semi-finalists. The England under 20 international, who will wear the number 27 shirt at Villa Park, returns to the Midlands having spent time in West Brom’s academy.
Rogers is the second up-and-coming talent to join Villa this month too, after Serbian right-back Kosta Nedeljkovic. Up-and-coming Australia goalkeeper Joe Gauci could also join from Adelaide United, HITC Football understands, with Arsenal’s Lino Sousa another target.
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