Xabi Alonso Reveals Blueprint for Chelsea’s £117 Million Man Morgan Rogers
Xabi Alonso has lifted the lid on the tactical assignment facing Morgan Rogers, the 24-year-old England international whose arrival at Chelsea shattered the British transfer record this month. The Blues’ manager had a pre-season press conference in Sydney, where he discussed Rogers.
The Blues tempted the marauding attacker away from Aston Villa for a reported £117 million, which eclipsed the £116 million Manchester City spent on Elliot Anderson earlier in the window. Rogers, who scored 21 goals in 85 Premier League games in the Midlands, has penned a deal until 2033.
Alonso spoke of the forward’s greatest quality:
“His best quality is that he’s flexible, for sure — in that pocket position close to the striker, close to the other 10, but he’s played on the right side as well. Coming more from the left, from that position, we will play him where he feels he’s enjoying his game, that he feels his flow.”
The Spaniard proceeded to express his belief that Rogers would forge fruitful connections with the personnel surrounding him. Alonso also believes it would be a huge step forward in the aesthetic quality of Chelsea’s football if those little associations are calibrated properly, with attackers instinctively looking for each other.
Chelsea were desperate for a key player in that position, and there are few better alternatives to Rogers anywhere in the market. Unsurprisingly, Alonso hailed Rogers as a “great signing.” That endorsement will take heart from supporters who have watched a string of expensive signings fail to live up to their price tags in west London.
Morgan Rogers Reveals the Talks that Convinced Him to Reject Arsenal
While Alonso has spoken publicly about his vision, the player himself has opened up about why he ultimately turned down an apparent suitor with more pedigree. Arsenal had identified Rogers as their top forward target of the summer, but the new champions were not willing to meet Villa’s exacting valuation.
The emotional pull of Cobham was strengthened considerably by familiarity, since Rogers has known Cole Palmer since their adolescent years within the England youth setup and the Manchester City academy. Palmer had been texting and calling him constantly throughout the process, and the chance to play alongside one of his best friends was genuinely special, he said.
“I’ve had a few conversations with him and I think it’s important for me to be here that I need to understand what the manager’s like, how he is and how he wants to operate. It very much fits with the way I see the game, the way I want to play, and the way I want to be me, and be free and express myself.”
