Dream 1st Rosenior signing: Chelsea readying £130m bid to land Palmer 2.0
Just shy of 100 games in charge, the Enzo Maresca era is over at Chelsea, with the Blues left to reflect on an 18-month spell that yielded two trophies, yet seemingly brought the club no closer to contending for the Premier League title.
That said, with the west London side still firmly in the mix for a top-five finish, while competing on three other fronts, any new boss isn’t exactly walking into a crisis situation.
A tweak here and there, alongside a new sense of harmony, might be all that is needed to revive this undoubtedly talented crop after a sticky December, with it looking as if Liam Rosenior will be the man tasked with that responsibility.
Currently impressing at BlueCo-owned Strasbourg, the Englishman appears all but certain to fill Maresca’s void at Stamford Bridge, with any hold-up likely to be centred around the Ligue 1 side’s need to find a replacement.
Rosenior looks to be BlueCo’s man, with the Blues hierarchy potentially plotting to hand the 41-year-old a dream 1st signing…
Chelsea readying bid for dream first Rosenior deal
Questions are being asked of Chelsea’s recent recruitment, with The Athletic’s Colin Millar notably highlighting how the club’s raft of summer spending on nine new signings backfired, as the “squad simply didn’t improve”.
Indeed, the likes of Jamie Gittens, Liam Delap, Alejandro Garnacho and the undoubtedly exciting Estevao have scored just two Premier League goals between them, with only Joao Pedro (six) really finding any sort of form.
The returning Cole Palmer has begun to find his groove again, netting against both Everton and Bournemouth, although the Englishman can’t do it alone. Thankfully, he might not have to.
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As per reports in Spain, Chelsea are believed to be preparing a ‘blockbuster’ bid to sign Palmer’s England colleague, Morgan Rogers, with the Blues readying an offer in the region of €150m (£130m).
The report suggests that a bid of such stature would likely be tempting for an Aston Villa side who have struggled to meet financial regulations in recent times, albeit with Rogers himself said to be ‘comfortable’ under Unai Emery’s management.
As for those at Stamford Bridge, the club are said to be ‘confident’ that they can tempt the 23-year-old into leaving the Midlands side.
Why Rogers could be the next Cole Palmer for Chelsea
While hampered by injury in 2025, perhaps part of the frustration at Chelsea of late was Maresca’s use of the aforementioned Palmer, with the 22-year-old not quite hitting the heights that he did under Mauricio Pochettino’s watch.
That debut 2023/24 campaign saw the playmaking genius rack up 41 goals and assists in just 45 games in all competitions, as per Transfermarkt, albeit while registering ‘just’ 55 goal involvements in 76 games since under Maresca.
Either way, that total record is still simply ridiculous for a player who was bizarrely allowed to depart rivals Manchester City, with Chelsea more than reaping the rewards of their £40m investment.
City’s ‘trash’ could again be Chelsea’s treasure in the case of Rogers, with the in-form forward having made his way to Villa Park from the Etihad, via a stint at Middlesbrough.
Sold for just £1m by Guardiola and co, the Halesowen-born sensation has more than made his former club pay for that decision, registering 46 goals and assists in 94 games for Emery’s side.
FFC’s TOTS – 2025/26 (so far)
Position
Player
GK
David Raya
RB
Reece James
CB
Nordi Mukiele
CB
Gabriel
LB
Riccardo Calafiori
CM
Granit Xhaka
CM
Declan Rice
RM
Antoine Semenyo
LM
Morgan Rogers
ST
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
ST
Erling Haaland
That isn’t quite Palmer levels, although it is certainly close, with Rogers – like his ex-City colleague – having been a real surprise package in the Premier League in recent years, after failing to even make a senior appearance at the Etihad.
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Like Palmer at Chelsea too, Rogers is the real heartbeat for Villa in his number ten berth, racking up ten goal involvements already this season in the top-flight.
So dangerous from range, like Palmer, the £130m man notably netted two almost identical stunners against Manchester United last month, rifling into the roof of the net in what has almost become trademark fashion.
For an attack-minded coach such as Rosenior to be able to work with a young talent like that is really truly exciting, while the prospect of the two Three Lions star’s in the same side also simply mouthwatering.
Rogers might be working wonders in the Midlands, although the chance to unite with the man he shares a celebration with could be too good to turn down.
Chelsea now really keen on £130m double deal as first two signings for Rosenior
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ByJames O'Reilly