£117 million! Dual record-breaker Rogers "boards the train", the fourth over-100 million transfer in the Premier League summer window

Written by Han Bing £117 million, the transfer fee for last season's Europa League MVP Rogers joining Chelsea broke the record for an English player. He also surpassed the 2023 Argentine midfielder Enzo (£106 million) to set a new Chelsea club record. Dual record-breaker Rogers had only two and a half years of Premier League experience, originally not a top star, but he is precisely the first choice for new Blues boss Alonso to replicate the "double No.10" system from his Bayer Leverkusen era. However, as Villa's second "£100 million man" sold, the outside world is cautiously optimistic about whether he can succeed at Chelsea. After all, Manchester City had the precedent of Grealish.

Originally, Arsenal was the first to pursue Rogers. In the FA Youth Cup semi-final seven years ago, then-Manchester City assistant Arteta and manager Guardiola had already taken a liking to the 16-year-old Rogers. However, Guardiola's £4 million high-priced signing from West Bromwich Albion, the English hope, then spent four and a half years grinding in the Championship. Three years ago, Guardiola failed to keep Rogers, and now Arteta has also been unsuccessful. This summer, the Premier League has already seen three blockbuster transfers of 100 million magnitude, causing Villa to set a sky-high price of £120 million for Rogers. Although Arsenal raised their offer from £80 million to £100 million, they have been slow to negotiate directly with Villa.

As early as the Carabao Cup in early 2024, Rogers, who scored against the Blues, had already caught Chelsea's attention. But Villa kept refusing to let him go, renewing his contract three times in two years. It wasn't until this summer, after Rogers achieved glory in the Europa League, that Chelsea made up their mind. Blues executive Shields, who served as Manchester City's youth recruitment director in 2018 and led the signing of Rogers from West Brom in 2019, had a bond of mentorship with the player. Chelsea only intervened to "hijack" the deal last Thursday. Last Friday, Alonso personally called Rogers, Chelsea player Reece James acted as a lobbyist in the England camp, and Palmer also proactively contacted his friend Rogers. Compared to the hesitant Arsenal, the Blues directly offered £117 million to meet Villa's demands, signing Rogers to a 6+1 year contract. After completing his medical on Tuesday, Rogers officially signed, becoming the fourth "£100 million man" in the Premier League this summer, following Matheus Fernandes (€99 million, Tottenham), Tonali (€108 million, Tottenham), and Anderson (€135 million, Manchester City).

Rogers was born in the West Midlands. His father is a firefighter and raised the children to be self-disciplined. He is the second of three brothers, with Jamaican heritage from his mother. Andy Cole, Sol Campbell, Walker, David James, Darren Bent, Chamberlain, Sterling, Sancho, Bellingham, etc. are all of Jamaican descent. Andy Cole (£7 million, 1995), Sterling (£49 million, 2015), and Bellingham (€127 million, 2023) all broke the British transfer fee record at the time. Rogers, with a slim margin of £1 million, surpassed the English record of Anderson (£116 million, equivalent to €135 million) to become the new English "record breaker".

At age 6, Rogers was promoted to the West Bromwich Albion academy's U8 age group, considered the club's brightest prospect in recent years to become a star. Rogers and Bellingham are close friends, their friendship dating back to playing together for England's U15 national team ten years ago. But Bellingham's career soared; after joining Dortmund in 2020, he made rapid progress and made his England debut that same year. Rogers' career was much bumpier. In 2019, he was poached by Manchester City from West Brom for a high price of £4 million, but was constantly loaned out to Championship teams for grinding. Four years later, his contract expired and he moved to Middlesbrough under Carrick. It wasn't until Middlesbrough surprisingly reached the League Cup semi-finals and Rogers won the League Cup Golden Boot that his fate changed.

In early 2024, Rogers joined Aston Villa in the Premier League for a fee of £8 million plus £7 million in add-ons. In the 2024/25 season, he provided 14 goals and 15 assists, winning the Premier League Young Player of the Season award from both the Future and the PFA. At the same time, he became the second-youngest English player to score a hat-trick in the Champions League. England manager Tuchel also took notice of Bellingham's friend, and Rogers even temporarily replaced Bellingham as the Three Lions' starting attacking midfielder. Last season, Rogers won the Europa League with Villa and was named the Europa League Best Player. This honor not only allowed him to participate in the World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico but also fulfilled his dream of joining a top club.

Unlike other English record-breakers, despite years of grinding in the lower leagues, he never lowered his standards. During tough times, his family supported him through the low points, and nightly calls with his mother were crucial. In addition, he often had video calls with his friends Ramsey and Palmer to relieve stress. At 1.91 meters tall, Rogers can play left winger, right winger, attacking midfielder, false nine, and can also drop back to midfield, even playing as a center forward. His idol is Cristiano Ronaldo, and he is obsessed with watching various highlights of Ronaldo. He also admires the styles of Sancho, Musiala, and Wirtz.

Rogers has a cheerful and humble personality. At Villa, he was the dressing room "joker", keeping every teammate energized. For a Chelsea side lacking a dressing room leader, Rogers has the potential. His signature celebration—arms crossed, cool expression—has gone viral on social media platforms. His friend Palmer even imitated it and registered it as his own personal trademark. At Chelsea, he is also familiar with Colwill, Reece James, Lavia, Gittens, and Delap, so integrating into the team won't be a problem.