Xabi Alonso believes Morgan Rogers will have an “instant impact” at Chelsea and plans to play him alongside Cole Palmer.
Chelsea spent a club record £117m to sign Rogers from Aston Villa, making him the most expensive British player of all-time.
The 24-year-old scored 31 goals and provided 25 assists in 125 appearances for Villa after joining from Middlesbrough in January 2024.
Rogers’ final goal for the Villans came in the Europa League final as Unai Emery’s side defeated Freiburg 3-0 to end their 44-year wait for a European title.
He became the youngest Englishman (23 years, 298 days) to score in a major European showpiece since Steven Gerrard for Liverpool against Alaves in the 2001 UEFA Cup final (20 years, 351 days).
Chelsea are hoping for a better Premier League season after finishing 10th last term, and Alonso has backed Rogers to make the difference.
“In that position we needed an important player and I’m sure there were not many better options than Morgan Rogers,” Alonso said.
“You need players who can have that almost instant impact and I’m sure Morgan won’t need much time to adapt to the club, the system and his team-mates.
“That was the idea, to get a top player, and Morgan is one of them.”
‘In that position, we needed an important player and there were not many better options than Morgan Rogers.’
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 27, 2026
Chelsea star Palmer has played with Rogers before with England, as well as at youth level during their time together at Manchester City.
Alonso revealed he intends to play the two attacking midfielders together in 2026-27, as he thinks the pair will thrive.
“I have a plan. I have an idea. I can see them linking really well,” Alonso said of Palmer and Rogers..
“We need to have a good mix. If we get that balance right and those special players in the right positions, with good control, then we will be more competitive with and without the ball.”
Chelsea start their 2026-27 Premier League campaign away to local rivals Fulham on August 24; the Cottagers are coached by Alvaro Arbeloa, who was Alonso’s successor at Real Madrid last season.
