Chelsea paid Aston Villa £117m for Morgan Rogers. Is he the right fit?

Morgan Rogers has become the most expensive British footballer in history. Photograph: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC/Getty ImagesView image in fullscreenMorgan Rogers has become the most expensive British footballer in history. Photograph: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC/Getty ImagesChelsea paid Aston Villa £117m for Morgan Rogers.

Is he the right fit?The England attacker thrives when he can gallop into space but Xabi Alonso’s best team built attacks slowly By Opta AnalystIt quickly became apparent this summer that Aston Villa would not be holding on to Morgan Rogers. Having helped the club finish fourth in the Premier League and win the Europa League, the 23-year-old was in demand.

Arsenal looked like his likeliest next destination, with the champions eager to strengthen the left side of their attack. The charm offensive came from many angles, with Martin Ødegaard, Mikel Arteta and the club’s England players trying to sell the idea to Rogers. But, with Arsenal reluctant to meet Villa’s asking price, Chelsea intervened and made Rogers the most expensive British player ever, surpassing the £116m that Manchester City paid Nottingham Forest for Elliot Anderson earlier this summer.

Xabi Alonso is new to Chelsea, so it is difficult to know exactly where Rogers will play. The versatile forward, who started out at West Brom before moving to Manchester City, Middlesbrough and then Villa, will probably be used in a variety of roles – often starting from the left but having opportunities to take up various attacking positions.View image in fullscreenAlonso predominantly used a 3-4-3 formation at Bayer Leverkusen and a 4-2-3-1 at Real Madrid.

If Chelsea play with three at the back, Rogers will be the left-sided No 10 in the team; if they use a four-man defence, he will start slightly wider but with the freedom to come inside – or he might even occupy the central role from time to time.Morgan Rogers ‘excited to join biggest club in London’ after making £117m Chelsea moveRead moreIf Alonso goes with the style he used at Leverkusen, Rogers might not be the best fit. During Alonso’s two full seasons in the Bundesliga, the team averaged 62.

1% (2023-24) and 59.6% (2024-25) possession. During their title-winning campaign in 2023-24, they went unbeaten all season while dominating the ball and moving up the pitch slowly.

They were set up to patiently build with lots of passes, win back possession quickly if they lost it and keep the ball as close to the opposition’s goal as possible. They made 367 high turnovers, which was 54 more than any other side. This system works best with attacking players who are tidy and intricate in tight spaces.

However, Rogers is at his most effective when he can use his pace and gallop into space.His dribble completion rate last season was just 34.2%, which was nothing to shout about.

And his completion rate for passes under pressure was just 73.4% – again not exceptional. Of the 161 forwards and midfielders who attempted at least 300 passes under pressure last season, Rogers ranked 143rd.

The statistics suggest he is not particularly effective in close-quarters engagements.View image in fullscreenWith space to attack, Rogers is a threat. He made 223 progressive carries last season, the 10th highest among Premier League forwards, wingers and attacking midfielders.

Only Cody Gakpo (41) and Matheus Cunha (35) had more carries that ended in shots than Rogers (30). He also created 16 chances for teammates after a carry: only 11 players created more. Rogers’ combined 46 chances created and shots taken following carries put him behind just Jérémy Doku (58), Gakpo (57) and Bukayo Saka (56).

Alonso’s passing style may not bring the best from Rogers.There are reasons for optimism though. Rogers is frequently on the move and that makes him difficult to track.

Only four players made more off-ball runs in the league last season; his 160 off-ball runs ending in the box was the eighth highest in the division.View image in fullscreenA mural of Jude Bellingham and Rogers in Birmingham. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The GuardianHe also has the potential to form a good relationship with João Pedro.

The Brazilian will probably be the focal point of the team and he is not a conventional No 9. He likes to drop deep, link with teammates and be a creator almost as much as a finisher. With Pedro dropping back, there will be room for Rogers to exploit beyond him: he made 258 runs in behind last season, the 12th highest in the league.

Why did Manchester United pay Chelsea £48m for Andrey Santos?Read moreRogers’ strong relationship with Ollie Watkins bodes well for Chelsea. He created 20 open-play chances for Watkins last season, which was the second most from one player to another in the league.

Wherever he has played, Rogers has developed an understanding with his teammates. He already has a close friendship with Cole Palmer after their time together in the Manchester City academy.Rogers’ other great attribute is his ball-striking abilit