Jude Bellingham sends heartfelt message to Morgan Rogers amid Aston Villa exit rumours
Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham has sent a heartfelt message to Morgan Rogers amid speculation that he could leave Aston Villa ahead of the new season.
Rogers only joined Aston Villa from Middlesbrough for an initial £8million [BBC] in February last year, but his rise to stardom since then has been a notable one, and he is now a full England international.
The 22-year-old winger has established himself as one of Unai Emery’s key players, and interest in his signature has been rife this summer after Football Insider revealed in May that Villa will do everything they can to keep hold of Rogers amid interest from Chelsea.
Former scout Mick Brown told Football Insider in June that Arsenal are keeping a close eye on Rogers’ situation, but Unai Emery is desperate to keep hold of the England winger this summer, as revealed by Football Insider on 8 July.
It is believed to be a near certainty that Chelsea will bid to sign Rogers if Villa approach them over a deal to sign Nicolas Jackson, while The Sun have reported that Rogers is the Blues’ top target right now, and he has been sent a new message in the face of those links.
Bellingham celebrates Rogers’ birthday
Rogers turned 23-years-old on Saturday, 26 July, and Villa marked his birthday with a message to him on Instagram, saying: “Have a great 23rd birthday, Morgan.”
He and Bellingham both hail from the West Midlands and have played for England at various youth levels before their recent exploits in the senior side, and the Real Madrid star took to his Instagram story on Saturday to share a picture of the pair in Three Lions shirts alongside a heartfelt message that read: “Happy birthday my brother (Morgan Rogers)” with celebration emoji and white heart emojis.
Chelsea to end Rogers interest amid Xavi Simons pursuit
Football Insider verdict
Football finance expert Dan Plumley told Football Insider on Friday (11 July) that the Villans will be forced to cash in on at least one or two players to try and avoid further sanctions from UEFA this summer.
Villa were hit with a fine of €11million (£9.5m) by the governing body in early July due to a squad cost ratio issue, and they could receive a further €15m (£13m) in fines over the next three years if they continue to fail to comply with UEFA’s financial regulations.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 70 | 17 | 16 |
Despite Chelsea’s continued interest, it looks as if their £100m asking price for Rogers [The Mail] might have put the Blues off a move as they now seek to land RB Leipzig playmaker Xavi Simons.
Football Insider have exclusively revealed that Leipzig want £60million for Xavi Simons, amid interest from the Stamford Bridge outfit, and Fabrizio Romano (26 July) has claimed that the two clubs are in “advanced talks,” over the move, while Simons is keen on joining Chelsea.
With that in mind, it seems unlikely that Maresca’s side will go for Rogers now, and Villa may well get to enjoy another season of him in their side as they aim to win the Europa League and return to the top five of the Premier League.