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Arsenal legend Paul Merson insists that Morgan Rogers \u201cisn\u2019t what Chelsea needed\u201d this summer as the Blues close in on a \u00a3117m transfer.<\/p>\n
The Blues finished tenth in the Premier League last season as Chelsea sacked both Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior as head coach in the same turbulent campaign.<\/p>\n
Chelsea<\/strong> have been concerned about losing some of their best players with Spain left-back Marc Cucurella already departing to join Real Madrid.<\/p>\n Completely out of the blue on Saturday, The Athletic<\/em>\u2018s David Ornstein revealed that Chelsea have secured an agreement for the \u00a3117m transfer of top Arsenal transfer target Rogers from Aston Villa.<\/p>\n Ornstein posted on X<\/em><\/strong>: \u2018EXCLUSIVE: Chelsea reach verbal agreement with Aston Villa to sign Morgan Rogers\u2060.<\/p>\n \u2018Bid of \u00a3117m accepted by #AVFC & being finalised.<\/p>\n READ: Chelsea now just \u00a33m away from signing star who\u2019s \u2018keen on a move\u2019 after Morgan Rogers deal<\/strong><\/p>\n \u20186+1y contract, medical Monday\u2060.<\/p>\n \u2018#AFC interested but 23yo attacker wanted #CFC; Xabi Alonso instrumental.\u2019<\/p>\n Joe Cole has welcomed the signing, despite admitting that he\u2019s \u201cnot sure where we\u2019re finding the money\u201d, and the Chelsea legend now expects Enzo Fernandez to leave.<\/p>\n Cole said on The Rest Is Football<\/em>: \u201cI\u2019m really happy because he\u2019s such a top, top player and he\u2019s performed well.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I think that means Enzo is probably out the door because you\u2019ve got to balance the books somewhere.<\/p>\n \u201cI think he\u2019ll play off the left and he\u2019s really good friends with Cole Palmer\u2026 I think that\u2019s a really good signing.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not sure where we\u2019re finding the money from to be honest!\u201d<\/p>\n Cole added: \u201cAs soon as Elliot Anderson went for \u00a3116m then that was going to be the price for the next big move.<\/p>\n \u201cRogers is a brilliant talent but Chelsea still need a centre-forward.\u201d<\/p>\n Arsenal legend Merson thinks Chelsea have overspent by a long way on Rogers with the Aston Villa playmaker someone who likes to operate in the same position as Cole Palmer.<\/p>\n Merson told Sky Sports<\/em>: \u201cIt\u2019s a lot of money. Crazy money. Bringing Morgan Rogers in for \u00a3117m isn\u2019t what Chelsea needed.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ve got Cole Palmer! They play in the same position! Rogers went to the World Cup instead of Palmer, because they play in the same position.<\/p>\n \u201cUnless Chelsea go for the almighty and sell Enzo Fernandez \u2013 and swallow the pill for him, because he\u2019s not worth \u00a3100m \u2013 and then play Moises Caicedo at the base, then Rogers and Palmer both ahead of him.<\/p>\n READ: Romano reveals how \u2018surprised\u2019 Arsenal were beaten to Rogers by Chelsea; Diomande latest<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cBut Joao Pedro is also a No 10. So with Joao Pedro, Rogers and Palmer, Chelsea have bought an attacking midfielder when they already have two very good ones.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019s Palmer going to be? Stuck out on the right again? He\u2019s wasted in that position. And if Rogers is played out on the right \u2013 no disrespect, but there are a lot better right wingers than him out there.<\/p>\n \u201cFor me, Rogers is a No 10. He\u2019s at his absolute best in open play. When the game gets broken up and he\u2019s running with the ball, he\u2019s very good at that.<\/p>\n \u201cBut he won\u2019t get that at Chelsea. At Stamford Bridge, opposition teams kick off and sit 10 behind the ball. There\u2019s no space.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd Rogers has got to carry that price tag around with him. He will sit there and say: \u2018there is no pressure on me, I didn\u2019t pay that fee\u2019. But it\u2019s a load of rubbish. Everybody will look at that when you don\u2019t do well.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of people were saying it was too much for Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo when they moved for \u00a3100m. But the biggest compliment I can give them is nobody ever mentions it. They were good signings. That\u2019s what Rogers has got to hope for.<\/p>\n \u201cBut he\u2019s got to make things happen, which is a harder position to be in than Rice and Caicedo were. In midfield, you can do this and that \u2013 but Rogers will be judged on scoring and creating goals. That\u2019s the hardest job in the world.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m also sure that at the start of last season, he was atrocious for Aston Villa. I\u2019m sure he was. Then he came good and then had a good second part of the season.<\/p>\n \u201cHe can\u2019t play like that at Chelsea. That is an absolute no-go, it\u2019s a different ball game when you go for that kind of money.\u201d<\/p>\n Merson added:\u00a0\u201cThis move tells me that Arsenal were telling Rogers that he would play left wing, and Chelsea have told him that he will play where he wants to play, which is the No 10 role.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause I have no idea how he goes to Chelsea instead of Arsenal if they\u2019re going to play in the same position.<\/p>\n \u201cOne team looks like they\u2019re going to win the Premier League again this year and have a good chance for the Champions League, and one team isn\u2019t even in Europe. Unless the money in the seven-year contract is mind-blowing.<\/p>\n \u201cArsenal will have to now go and get another left winger. They\u2019ll have to try and get Desire Doue or Bradley Barcola from PSG. There are not a lot of wingers around, but if you want to go top, top drawer and improve what you\u2019ve got, then that\u2019s what they have to get.<\/p>\n \u201cI cannot believe they sold Leandro Trossard by the way, I\u2019m flabbergasted by it. They sold him for the price of a cup of tea!<\/p>\n \u201cTrossard played in all the big games at the end of the season. Against the big teams, he played and he played for a reason. He\u2019s a very good footballer.<\/p>\n \u201cHe also doesn\u2019t come across as someone who stinks the place out or kicks up a fuss when he doesn\u2019t\u2019 play. He gets on with it, comes on and does his job. I just can\u2019t believe what I\u2019ve seen in that transfer, I don\u2019t get it at all.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to go out and buy again and buy again if you want to stay at the top. Arsenal need a few players \u2013 but they definitely need a left winger if they want to go up another level.\u201d<\/p>\n READ NEXT: The Caicedo, Wirtz and Pogba transfer records which will be smashed when Rogers joins Chelsea<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/div>\nMerson on Chelsea signing Rogers: \u2018They\u2019ve got Cole Palmer!\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n