Why Aston Villa are unlikely to move for Phil Foden or Eberechi Eze even if Morgan Rogers leaves in £130m deal - with Stan Collymore explaining transfer plans

Villa may find a way of keeping Rogers - who is currently on World Cup duty - in his native West Midlands. Arsenal have been credited with interest, but the Premier League title holders appear to have turned their attention towards Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes.

The Gunners may have been put off by Villa’s asking price, with record-breaking terms being demanded, and that could bring an end to the rumours. Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) must, however, be taken into account and summer sales will need to happen in order to raise funds and keep books balanced.

Rogers would have no shortage of options to consider if an exit door were to be nudged open at Villa Park, with heavyweight outfits from across Europe said to be keeping a close eye on his situation. If he were to move on, then Emery would have plenty of cash to splash on a suitable replacement.

Some fans have suggested that Manchester City playmaker Foden - after seeing him miss out on a place in England’s 2026 World Cup squad - may be tempted to take on a new challenge. If Rogers were to head for Emirates Stadium, then there is a chance that Eze would seek a move in the knowledge that his opportunities under Mikel Arteta could be limited.

Pressed on who he would like to see targeted if that situation arises, former Villa striker Collymore - speaking exclusively to GOAL courtesy of BetGoodwin - said: “It's a difficult one, I mean in terms of Villa have got to be PSR compliant so a large chunk of that money is going to go towards that.

“I think that actually Villa would look at replacing a wide-ish midfielder in Morgan Rogers with outrageous pace. I think the one thing that Villa have lacked in wide attacking positions is players that can go past people. They've tried [Evann] Guessand, didn't work, went on loan to Crystal Palace. Leon Bailly, no, they let Donyell Malen go - you could argue he's a striker, but with pace he can get behind people.

“So I don't think there's going to be players like Foden or Eze incoming, I think it'll be players that are off the radar playing in the Bundesliga, playing in Serie A, 21, 22, 23, that Unai Emery can develop.

“I just don't see a situation where maybe one marquee player, like when Marcus Rashford came in and had his loan spell, would swallow the wages for a short period of time. I think that Villa are very much about building the next iteration of the team and I wouldn't see, with the greatest respect, somebody else's players that are maybe surplus to requirements, that are going to be on massive wages, fitting into that Villa system. In the way that Morgan Rogers himself when he came into the Villa scene, he came from Middlesbrough, he had a certain player profile that they'd been watching for a number of years and they got him at the right price, at the right time and they can develop him.

“I think that that will be exactly the same cookie cutter prototype that Villa will be looking for - a player that they can develop rather than an off the peg that's going to be wanting big wages.”

Villa are, on the back of a bringing their 30-year wait for major silverware to a close last season when savouring Europa League success, an attractive proposition for any player considering a Premier League adventure.

Rogers has offered no indication that he is pushing for a fresh start of his own, as he remains tied to a contract through to 2031, but financial regulations must be adhered to and some big teams are said to have him registering on their respective recruitment radars.