Head coach Unai Emery of Aston Villa says the team hopes to officially announce the signing of Morgan Rogers from Middlesbrough on Wednesday.
Prior to Villa’s 3-1 loss to Newcastle United at home, rumors circulated that a contract had been reached to sign the 21-year-old winger following the rejection of three previous bids. With add-ons, the contract may be worth up to £16 million.
Rogers paid merely £1 million to join Boro at the beginning of the season from Manchester City. The sale of Rogers will bring in a good profit for the Teessiders, but Man City’s 25% sell-on clause will also entitle them to about £4 million.
When questioned about Rogers’ medical at Villa following the 3-1 defeat against Newcastle, Emery provided insights, stating, “We’ve analyzed him, closely monitoring his progress with a scout, and we also observed him during our match against Middlesbrough.”
Expressing optimism, Emery added, “I believe he is a promising young player, and hopefully, tomorrow we can finalize his signing, marking the beginning of his new journey here. We are eager and excited to collaborate with him, hoping he can develop here as we anticipate.”
The Tuesday night game marked Villa’s first home defeat in the Premier League in nearly a year, and it represented only Newcastle’s second away victory of the league season. Additionally, it was the first time The Magpies had secured a win at Villa Park since 2013.
Despite The Villains holding a high position in the Premier League table, Newcastle has achieved a remarkable double over Emery’s side, securing a 5-1 opening day victory at St James’ Park and a 3-1 win away.
Emery acknowledged Newcastle’s success, stating, “Congratulations to Newcastle, and they played tonight being successful in their performances.” He further commented on the first half, noting, “In the first half, we did not control the game like we wanted. Obviously, at the beginning, it was because they were playing well, and we had to assess.”
Reflecting on the match, Emery mentioned, “In the second half, we got the goal and had chances then to be close to scoring the second goal, but we have to assess the match.” Despite the loss, Emery expressed pride in his players, saying, “I spoke with the players and told them I am very proud of them after a lot of matches we are successful here. One loss has to come, and it was today. We have not lost our perspective. The message is to keep going ahead and try to find comfort in the work that we are doing overall.”
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