Morgan Rogers to Aston Villa latest as Middlesbrough transfer stance becomes clear amid FFP

Middlesbrough turned down a second offer for Morgan Rogers on Friday, indicating that Aston Villa’s interest in the forward is still strong. Although Boro is willing to let go of Rogers, they won’t do it for less than they think the player is worth—especially considering that he is only half way through a four-year contract.

The majority of people were taken aback by Villa’s attention in Rogers, who outperformed them in the close FA Cup third-round game at the Riverside two weeks prior. After a rocky start at Boro, the 21-year-old has been gaining confidence, and Unai Emery is supposedly targeting him as his priority target this month.

However, Emery has warned that Villa needs to be mindful of Premier League FFP rules. It’s still unclear how much Boro value Rogers at. They’re likely to make a good profit from any potential sale this month, but they also have to consider a sell-on percentage included in the deal with Manchester City last summer.

Boro’s financial accounts, released on Thursday, highlight the importance of player trading in today’s challenging Championship climate. Clubs like Boro are forced to spend more than their guaranteed revenue to stay competitive, making player sales crucial to offset losses.

This is why they targeted players like Rogers in the summer – young with lots of potential. But it’s not just about selling at any time, but at the optimal time. While sell-on percentages and performance-related bonuses can help, Boro must always try to predict if a current offer is the peak of a player’s value or if there’s potential for profit growth by keeping them a bit longer.

Boro would prefer to keep Rogers this month. He’s become a key part of Michael Carrick’s squad due to his recent performances, and their goal remains to make the play-offs and have another shot at the Premier League. However, after signing Finn Azaz from Aston Villa earlier this month, they’re well-prepared in the forward areas if Villa do reach a fee that Boro find acceptable.

Boro have shown in recent talks with Tottenham (Djed Spence), Bournemouth (Marcus Tavernier) and Ajax (Chuba Akpom) that they’re not afraid to play hardball. With Rogers’ contract length, Boro have a security they didn’t have with the previous three.

Reports suggest that Rogers is excited about the opportunity. It makes sense as he’s a Midlands lad, born just outside Birmingham. Besides moving closer to family, it’s a chance to jump to the Premier League after failing to break through at Manchester City. The prospect of working with a head coach like Emery is also appealing.

However, there are plenty of reasons for him to stay at Boro. He’s progressing well under a great coaching team – his recent development proves this. While any player will back themselves, he must realise that he’ll get more game-time at Boro than Villa in the short term. For his development to continue on its current path, regular game time will always be more beneficial.

One of his new Boro team-mates, Rav van den Berg, had a similar approach last summer. Despite interest from big European clubs, he chose Boro after talking to Carrick. He was attracted by the project and the opportunity to play regular football.

The 19-year-old Dutchman’s decision appears to be succeeding. He’s performing better than he thought he would and getting better every game. It appears like a transfer to a larger team may be in the works, and because of his experience at Boro, he’ll be more equipped for it. After winning the match against Birmingham City, he revealed that in order to determine how to have the maximum impact, he also closely monitors games from the bench.

Villa are obviously very interested in him because of his potential and qualities. In the improbable event that he moves to Villa this month, it’s unlikely he’ll start playing regularly right away. We’re not sure yet if that concerns him or not. Villa seemed keen to advocate for

Read more on sportupdates.co.uk