Chelsea's new manager, Xabi Alonso, stated on Monday that Morgan Rogers is a 'great acquisition' that will increase the club's competitiveness. He also expects the English midfielder to be able to 'connect very well' with Cole Palmer.
Acquisition and Transfer
The versatile player Rogers was signed from Aston Villa last week for £117 million (approximately 2.61 billion rubles), which set a record for a British player. Alonso expressed his delight at being able to bring the 23-year-old footballer to Stamford Bridge before his first match as coach—a friendly against Western Sydney Wanderers on Tuesday.
The Spaniard noted: 'This is a great acquisition. I think we needed an important player in this position, and I am sure there were no better options than Morgan.' He added that the club is 'thrilled' because it is of great importance to everyone.
Team Strategy
This transfer demonstrates serious intentions from Chelsea, who finished tenth in the Premier League last season and did not qualify for Europe. Alonso must find a way to integrate Rogers, Palmer, Pedro Neto, Estevão Willian, and another player signed in the transfer window, Giovanni Kvendu, into his attacking midfield positions.
Alonso outlined his plan, explaining how Rogers can interact with Palmer. Both players are close friends and have a similar playing style. The coach emphasized the need to combine good stable players with those who can play more freely. He believes that by achieving this balance and correctly positioning special players with good control, the team will become more competitive in both attack and defense.
Player Competition
Reports suggest that Chelsea has been trying to sign Rogers for two years and overtook Arsenal in the race for his signature after the Premier League champions refused to agree to the high price demanded by Villa. This transfer exceeded the previous record for the cost of a British player, set by Manchester City when signing English midfielder Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for £116 million (2.58 billion rubles) earlier this month.
Other Club News
Meanwhile, Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi called on his team on Monday to play with 'soul and passion' as the London club recovers after narrowly avoiding relegation from the Premier League. Spurs began aggressive summer spending to improve their position after finishing 17th and avoiding relegation at the last moment. Major signings include midfielders Matheus Fernandes from West Ham and Sandro Tonali from Newcastle. De Zerbi also strengthened the squad by signing central defender Jan Paul van Hecke from his former club Brighton. Full-back Andy Robertson, centre-back Marcos Senesi, and goalkeeper Martin Dubravka joined the team on free transfers, giving the squad a new look.
During the pre-season tour in Sydney, De Zerbi stated that he expects more at the start of the new season, emphasizing that he wants to 'build a new team with quality, with big players, but with soul, with passion, with all the values we have'. The Italian specialist added that football today is not just about playing on the field and not just about the ball; it is also about what happens before that, it is in life, it is how many hours a day you think about your job.
De Zerbi suggested that there might still be several signings before the transfer window closes. He concluded: 'I think we can be happier at the end of this transfer market because I have spoken a lot with the owner, with the board of directors, and they want to build a very strong team for this season so that the days of the future can be great again.'
