Stefan Borson drops 'extraordinary' Morgan Rogers to Man City verdict

Manchester City have huge decisions to make amid interest in both Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers and Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson.

That is according to former Manchester City financial adviser Stefan Borson, who exclusively told Football Insider that it will be a case of one or other due to "extraordinary" fees.

Rumours have emerged of the Citizens still holding a buy-back clause in Rogers' contract following his move to Middlesbrough in 2023, though Borson has been quick to squash those.

It appears far more likely that a deal will be done for Forset's No.8, with Man City already having a bid rejected. The fee is currently unknown, however.

Man City must choose between Morgan Rogers and Elliot Anderson

City have been known for splashing the cash during winter and summer windows, and with Enzo Maresca set to take charge, it seems that the club's transfer plans are already taking shape.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Borson essentially said that the Citizens would have to choose between the two major signings, rather than target both.

"I'd be surprised. The priority is clearly Anderson and he's going to cost £80million to £110million from what we can gather, which is just an extraordinary fee," he said.

"There's just no realistic possibility that they could buy both budget-wise. So I just don't think City are realistic.

"In any event, I don't see where he would fit into the squad right now. I mean City do have two 10s in Foden and Cherki. It's hard to see where Rogers would fit in.

"I'm sure City want to be kept informed of all of these sorts of situations when major players are moving. But I think it's extremely unlikely that that City would move for him.

"The question really is, given his fee, where can he go? Who is in the market to spend between £80m and £110m? There are very few teams in the world that can do that.

"Which ones of those teams have a slot for him? Which one of those teams really makes him a priority? You can't go around buying a player for that kind of money unless the player is is the priority signing of the summer."

Could Man City really have a buy-back clause for the Aston Villa star?

While it is highly unlikely that Ben Jacobs was correct when discussing a buy-back clause for Rogers, it is not entirely impossible. Nothing ever is in football.

Borson discussed a scenario in which the Citizens waived their rights to signing the playmaker back in February 2024 when he made the move to Villa Park.

Had that happened, City might have got the Villans to agree to putting in a buy-back clause in his latest contract, but that seems very far-fetched.

Borson doesn't believe that this would be the case, of course, and that Man City would have to pay full price for Villa's most valuable asset.

With moves also being made to sign Anderson from the City Ground, it all seems a bit fairytale-reporting from outside the Etihad Stadium.