Morgan Rogers: Why Aston Villa were so desperate to sign him
As we near the end of the January transfer window, some clubs are busy bolstering their squads, while others are desperately trying to keep hold of their best players.
Morgan Rogers’ excellent performances this season put Middlesbrough firmly into that latter category.
The 21 year old played a pivotal role in Boro’s impressive semi-final run in the Carabao Cup, where he was directly involved in more goals - scoring five and providing two assists - than any other player in the competition.
Michael Carrick’s side are just three points off the Chamionship top six, and are aiming for successive play-off finishes and a possible return to the Premier League.
But Aston Villa were unwilling to take no for answer, so Boro will have to do this without the player who has created the most big chances and has the most assists within the team.
Villa have been in the market for a winger since last summer and with manager Unai Emery prioritising young players who the club can develop, Rogers fits the bill.
Morgan Rogers Transfer Value - how much is he worth now?
According to our Player Valuation Model, Rogers has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €3.8 million.
With it being very late in the window, Boro were demanding upwards of £15m for Rogers, and Villa reportedly met close to that valuation.
This means Boro have received around 10 times what they paid for him only six months ago. That is a brilliant piece of business which can bring short-term financial stability to the Championship club.
What will Morgan Rogers bring to Aston Villa?
Rogers has the positional sense and technical skill to play both centrally and wide, and has been deployed in multiple attacking positions this season.
“I’ve always prided myself on the number of positions I can play; I’ve done that since I was young. I love the game and I know what each position entails. I have the football intelligence to know what’s asked and to try to carry it out for the team,” he says.
Villa have lacked depth across their attack this season, and Rogers’ versatility is possibly what makes him Emery’s primary target this window.
Although Rogers makes an impressive 5.5 progressive passes P90, his basic passing numbers don’t make for a great reading. But that is down to the tight areas in which he operates - with over 63% of his touches coming in either the final third or the opponent penalty area.
It is from these zones that he tries to break down the opposition, and his 2.5 key passes, 0.8 through balls and 4.8 shot-creating actions rank him amongst the best attacking midfielders and wingers in the Championship.
The England U20 International also delivered 0.34 goals and 0.44 assists P90 in all competitions this season, showing that he can back up the underlying numbers with end product.
His technical quality was on display for his back-heel assist for Marcus Forss’ equaliser against Rotherham earlier this month.
Very few players have the vision to make that pass, and the former Manchester City man has clearly benefited from spending four years watching and learning from some of the best players in the world.
Another look at the goal that got us a point on Saturday ⚽️📹 #UTB pic.twitter.com/FvWbwRp2LT
— Middlesbrough FC (@Boro) January 22, 2024
The Villans are seventh in the league for non-penalty xG, and have been overly reliant on Ollie Watkins to both score and create goals. Rogers’ addition would be a much-needed boost to their ability to create chances.
Lastly, the 1.91-metre attacker is willing to press from the front and also puts in a good defensive shift by winning 1.38 tackles and losing only 0.42 challenges P90.
The biggest question mark is if he can produce similar numbers in the Premier League, but Emery will know that he is not the finished article yet, which should afford him the time to settle and develop.
Rogers has seen his career go from the highs of signing for Manchester City as a teenager, to the lows of taking a step back to the Championship. Moving to a Villa team fifth in the table is an exciting challenge which allows him to fulfil his Premier League ambitions, and return to his Midlands roots.
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