Morgan Rogers set for Chelsea medical as £117m deal agreed in hammer blow to Arsenal

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Evening Standard

18 July 2026

Arsenal’s priority summer transfer target is heading to the other side of London

The versatile midfielder, who is currently with the England squad at the World Cup, was expected to leave Villa summer, with

Arsenal

making him

their top transfer priority

this summer.

But

Standard Sport

understands it is

Chelsea

who the player has picked. The Blues have been long-time admirers of Rogers, and have acted quickly and efficiently to deny the Gunners.

Rogers is expected to sign a six-year deal, with

holding the option for a further 12 months.

Rogers is a versatile No10 who can also play down both flanks - as he did for England against Argentina in Wednesday’s World Cup semi-final defeat.

The midfielder’s future was always expect to gather pace once England’s World Cup campaign came to an end.

The Three Lions face France in the third-place play-off on Saturday evening in Miami, before the squad fly home to London.

Rogers scored 14 goals and provided 12 assists in 55 appearances across all competitions last term, earning UEFA’s Europa League Player of the Season award after both scoring and assisting in May’s

3-0 final win over Freiburg

in Istanbul.

The deal represents a huge profit for Villa on Rogers, who was signed two years ago from Middlesbrough for around £8m.

It is also the second time

have seen a key transfer target pick a rival club over them, after Manchester City hijacked their deal for Jeremy Monga.

Arsenal, though, have reached an agreement to sign Club Brugge winger Christos Tzolis.

understands a deal worth around £33.8million is close to being finalised for the 24-year-old as

move to replace

Leandro Trossard

, who joined Besiktas for £15.3m earlier this week.

Blackburn Rovers & Portsmouth eyeing £2m West Brom defender

Football League World

Morgan Rogers rejects Arsenal for Chelsea in £117m deal after Xabi Alonso gets involved

Football365

Chelsea reach verbal agreement with Aston Villa to sign Arsenal target Morgan Rogers⁠

SportsView

Chelsea agree deal to sign top Arsenal target Rogers from Aston Villa

Hayters TV

Arsenal interest in Ezri Konsa and Morgan Rogers expected as Aston Villa prepare to resist bids

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