Jude Bellingham sends heartfelt message to Morgan Rogers amid Aston Villa exit rumours

Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham sent a heartfelt birthday message to Aston Villa winger Morgan Rogers via Instagram, calling him "my brother" alongside celebratory emojis. This occurred amid significant transfer speculation surrounding Rogers.

Rogers, who joined Aston Villa from Middlesbrough for an initial £8 million in February 2023 and has since become a full England international, is a key player for manager Unai Emery. Despite Villa's desire to keep him, there has been widespread interest this summer, particularly from Chelsea. Football Insider previously reported Villa would fight to retain him, and former scout Mick Brown noted Arsenal is also monitoring his situation.

Reports suggest Chelsea is highly interested, potentially viewing Rogers as a top target and likely to bid if Villa approaches them about Nicolas Jackson. However, Villa faces financial pressure; UEFA fined them €11 million (£9.5m) for breaching squad cost rules and could impose further fines. Finance expert Dan Plumley stated Villa might need to sell players to avoid more sanctions.

Despite Chelsea's interest, Villa's reported £100 million asking price for Rogers appears to have deterred them. Chelsea is now focusing on signing RB Leipzig playmaker Xavi Simons, with talks reported to be advanced and the player keen on the move. Consequently, it seems unlikely Chelsea will pursue Rogers now, increasing the possibility he stays at Villa for another season as they target Europa League success and a Premier League top-five finish.