England international Morgan Rogers has completed a medical at Chelsea and is set to join the club after a British-record £117m transfer from Aston Villa. The winger, who returned from the World Cup on Monday, had also been linked with Arsenal but chose Stamford Bridge over Champions League football at Villa Park.
Rogers is viewed as a physical presence to bolster the squad, addressing a perceived lack of strength in the Chelsea side. The 24-year-old played alongside Cole Palmer at Manchester City and is expected to be integrated into the starting lineup by manager Enzo Alonso.
The two players know each other well, having been teammates at City, where Rogers is credited with inventing Palmer's famous "cold" goal celebration. Despite the arrival of Rogers, there are no indications that Chelsea intend to sell Palmer, who is tied down to a long-term contract and recently expressed happiness at the club.
The deal, which Chelsea funded through the sale of players like Marc Cucurella and Andrey Santos, is subject to Rogers signing a six-year deal. Meanwhile, the club's stance on Enzo Fernandez remains unchanged, with manager Alonso confirming his intention to keep the Argentine midfielder despite interest from Real Madrid.