'Overkill' - England legend Emile Heskey urges Chelsea to hold off £80m transfer for Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers

Fresh off their lucrative Club World Cup win, Chelsea appear eager to keep strengthening their squad ahead of next season. The latest name reportedly on their radar is that of Rogers, who has flourished under the guidance of Unai Emery since he joined the Midlands club from Middlesbrough in January 2024.

Rogers' performances have not gone unnoticed, prompting several English giants to explore potential deals. Villa, however, are in no rush to sell, especially given his growing importance to Emery’s squad. Still, they may be forced to consider a substantial offer, especially in light of their financial challenges, with reports suggesting that a bid in the region of £80 million ($107m) could test their resolve.

While acknowledging Rogers' readiness to make the jump to a top-tier club, Heskey believes Chelsea may be better off looking elsewhere, given the wealth of options they already possess in attacking positions. Speaking to BestBettingSites.co.uk, Heskey remarked: “I think he’s ready. But it’d be interesting to see Chelsea try to get him, because Villa don’t really need to be selling their prize assets. But we keep coming back to PSR, and clubs will now always way up a good offer for their players, and selling Rogers might help them balance the books, and he’s one of their most valuable players. I’m not sure where he’d fit in with Chelsea right now, though, even if Raheem Sterling and Noni Madueke go. He’s going to be behind Cole Palmer in the pecking order."

Heskey encouraged Rogers to consider the benefits of remaining at Villa Park for at least one more season.

"It would be interesting as it’s another Manchester City player who might make their way to Chelsea, but I think he should spend another year at Villa, at least," he said.

"He’s going well, the club are on the up, and they could break into that top four this season. That’s a really big challenge and a good one for him, too. I think if he did go to Chelsea, he could be fantastic, but for Chelsea it might be overkill, buying players for the sake of it."

With Maresca eager to trim his roster, several high-profile exits are expected in the coming weeks. Noni Madueke looks set to join Arsenal, while Christopher Nkunku and Joao Felix are also on track to leave Stamford Bridge before the new season kicks off. These potential exits could, theoretically, open up space for Rogers, but questions remain as to whether investing £80m in yet another attacking midfielder is a necessity or simply an act of overindulgence.