Aston Villa’s third bid has been rejected for Middlesbrough forward Morgan Rogers.
According to reports, Aston Villa’s third attempt to sign Middlesbrough winger Morgan Rogers was turned down. If they want to complete a deal before the January transfer window ends, they still have work to do.
The Premier League team was set to make a third attempt to sign the 21-year-old after their first two bids were rejected, according to a recent report from Football Insider. Since then, The Athletic have disclosed that Villa’s offer, including add-ons, was in the neighborhood of £15 million.
Morgan Rogers’ career so far
Rogers, who rose through the ranks at West Bromwich Albion, was raised in Halesowen, in Dudley, near Aston Villa. But at the age of 17, he left to play for Manchester City.
Rogers never played as a senior at Etihad Stadium before making his switch to the Riverside last summer. He joined Boro from Man City for an undisclosed price.
The Premier League winners had loaned him out several times, to teams in the Championship including AFC Bournemouth and Blackpool, as well as Lincoln City in League One.
After signing, the attacker has established himself as a mainstay for Michael Carrick’s team, making 33 appearances across all competitions and contributing nine assists along with seven goals.
Due to his success, he has reportedly drawn interest from other teams. According to sources, Villa has already had two bids for the 21-year-old rejected during the January transfer window.
As per the Football Insider report, Aston Villa submitted a third bid to acquire Rogers. The belief at Villa Park that they would be able to sign the winger before the market closes on February 1st was believed to be increasing.
They are not the only team interested in playing in the top division; the Sunday People claim that West Ham made an offer of £12.5 million for the 21-year-old, which Boro simply turned down.
Aston Villa’s latest Morgan Rogers bid rejected by Middlesbrough
John Percy of The Telegraph reports that Middlesbrough has responded to Villa’s most recent approach and has once again turned them down.
“Middlesbrough has dismissed Aston Villa’s third offer for Morgan Rogers,” he tweeted (X). Villa has been informed by Boro of the requested fee, and they are awaiting payment.”
The Boro winger is eager to join the top division of English football, Percy continued, but there is still much work to be done before the deadline on Thursday. He continued: “Rogers has informed Boro of his desire to play in the Premier League but, at this stage, still some work to do.”
Aston Villa pursue a potential Ollie Watkins successor
When you go past Rogers’ numbers, there is a lot of reason to sign him, even if this is by far his greatest season in terms of goals and assists as a professional.
Rogers’ physical profile is comparable to Ollie Watkins’. In addition to having similar heights and builds, they can accelerate quickly over short distances.
While Rogers is still young enough to quickly develop into an all-around forward, his position as a center-forward isn’t a given.
He already has the potential to link plays and provide a threat from behind, much like Watkins. Prior to finally developing into a more central striker, Watkins also began in deeper areas.
The Boro forward is only 21 years old, so Unai Emery can train him to be a long-term replacement while acquiring him before his value soars to over £15 million.
But given what that kind of money may bring to the team in other areas, Michael Carrick’s side may find it difficult to say no at this stage.
