Chelsea are ‘accelerating’ and ‘formalising’ their pursuit of Aston Villa talisman, Morgan Rogers, with sources revealing the record-breaking fee that can get the deal done.

Chelsea’s interest in Rogersis no secret, though whether Aston Villawould play ball if and when the Blues knock on their door was another matter entirely.

But according to our colleagues over on TEAMtalk, Villa are begrudgingly ready to wave goodbye to 23-year-old Rogers this summer, assuming their colossal financial demands are met, of course.

Arsenal and Liverpool are both circling, but per transfer insider, Graeme Bailey, it’s Chelseawho are pursuing a deal with the greater vigour.

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That is at the behest of Chelsea’s co-director of recruitment and talent, Joe Shields, who first identified Rogers’ potential during their time at Manchester City, where he brought him in from West Bromwich Albion.

Since then, Rogers shone at Middlesbrough before earning a ￡15m (add-ons included) switch to Aston Villa in February of 2024.

But after two-plus years at Villa Park – during which Rogers has established himself as one of the Premier League’s most dynamic attackers and a regular starter for England – a change of scenery could be on the cards.

Chelsea are understood to be on the cusp of accelerating their interest and formalising their pursuit. The obvious question to ask at this point is will Villa sell?

Sources have explained that Chelsea’s likelihood of striking a deal will increase significantly if Villa miss out on Champions League qualification.

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Fifth spot should be good enough to qualify for the UCL, but Villa are labouring of late and ironically, the club that might snatch the final spot from Unai Emery’s side is Chelsea.

However, Chelsea still plan to pursue Rogers even if Villa do qualify for the UCL. What’s more, Villa booking their place in Europe’s top competition won’t necessarily derail the move either.

Naturally, a gigantic sum will be requested, with Bailey noting Villa want their club record to fall. Their current most expensive sale remains Jack Grealish’s ￡100m move to Man City in 2021.

Rogers is contracted at Villa Park until 2031 having only put pen to paper on a new and improved deal in November. As such, Emery’s club are well-positioned in any negotiations that follow.

There’ll be no cut-price exit, meaning Chelsea will have to break the ￡100m barrier for the third time in their history. Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo both cost nine-figure sums when arriving at Stamford Bridge.

As mentioned, Chelsea feel a deal can be struck even if Villa qualify for the Champions League, but if Villa fail to hit that target, the chances of Rogers changing clubs will soar even higher.

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