BIRMINGHAM, June 26, Aston Villa would face an arduous task replacing Morgan Rogers even if they were to receive £100 million for the England international, according to former defender Alan Hutton, as Arsenal prepare to test Villa’s resolve with a summer approach.
The 23 year old has emerged as one of the Premier League’s most coveted young talents following a breakthrough campaign at Villa Park. Reports suggest Villa would not consider letting Rogers leave for anything less than nine figures, given the inflated state of the transfer market and the fact that Middlesbrough hold a 20 per cent sell on clause .
Hutton believes that, despite the substantial fee Villa could receive, replacing a player of Rogers’ quality and character would be far from straightforward.
“Rogers is a big loss because you have to replace him. You might say, ‘oh, we’re getting £100 million’ but you have to replace him,” Hutton told PariuriX.com.
“I thought, from the recruitment point of view, to bring him in from Middlesbrough, you’re thinking to yourself, right, well, let’s just see how he does. You’re not really expecting him to hit those heights as early on as he has. So to lose someone of that stature within the squad who gets on with everybody, he’s a good guy within the camp, would be a huge loss.”
A character as valuable as the talent
Rogers has become a key figure in Unai Emery’s side, registering 12 goals and seven assists in 49 appearances across all competitions last season . His influence extends beyond the pitch, with Hutton highlighting the midfielder’s grounded nature as a crucial asset.
“The likes of John McGinn talk about him and how he’s down to earth. His success has not changed him any,” Hutton said. “You need characters like that, and you need people with talent like that to kind of take you to the next level. So to lose him, it’s going to be very difficult to replace, I feel.”
World Cup frustration for Rogers
Currently representing England at the World Cup, Rogers has been used by Thomas Tuchel as an impact player, with Jude Bellingham preferred in the number ten role . The 23 year old has made three substitute appearances in the tournament, including a brief cameo in the 3-0 win over Ghana, but has yet to start a match .
Hutton believes patience is required.
“I do feel for Morgan Rogers because a lot of the talk before the World Cup was about who was going to play in the number ten between him and Jude Bellingham,” Hutton added. “Bellingham is a fantastic player, and his performances for Real Madrid are great, and something can always happen when he is involved.
“Unfortunately, if you are Morgan Rogers, you just have to wait for the opportunity to come. We know he can go in and show the fans and the manager what he is capable of. When he gets that opportunity, he can’t let it go. So far, it is not really his fault he is not playing, the manager has just gone another direction. But when he gets the opportunity, it is up to him to take it. I really feel he has the quality to deliver.”
Villa’s resolve will be tested this summer, but Hutton’s warning is clear: the fee may be substantial, but the void left by Rogers would be far more difficult to fill .
