Aston Villa transfer 'imminent' as Man City 'hitch' surfaces

Aston Villa are expected to announce the Deadline Day signing of Middlesbrough forward Morgan Rogers imminently as the player has completed a medical and signed his contract.

The Villans' number one transfer target throughout the window, Rogers arrives to develop his game and become a potential star of the future at Villa Park. Unai Emery has his wish as the head coach was desperate to bring Rogers in, even despite multiple pushbacks from Middlesbrough.

He may not be an immediate starter but at 21 years of age, the former West Bromwich Albion and Manchester City man has plenty of time to reach his sky-high potential. Rogers, who only joined Boro in the summer for a fee of around £1.5 million, has scored seven and assisted nine in 33 appearances across all competitions this season.

Birmingham World understands Villa will pay £8 million upfront for Rogers, with performative add-ons eventually rising the deal to a value of £15 million. One of the reasons Boro rejected three previous offers was due to a hitch, with Man City receiving 25 per cent of the fee due to a sell-on clause.

The drama is over now, though, with Emery excited to welcome his new signing on a contract until June 2029. "We analysed him and we followed him with a scout, as well when we played Middlesbrough," Emery said after the 3-1 defeat to Newcastle United.

"Hopefully we can sign him and he can start his new chapter here. We are motivated and excited to work with him. He’s a young player, he can adapt to our style of play. Hopefully tomorrow he can sign and can start working with us and exploiting his qualities as a player," Emery continued.