Jonny Drury caught up with Matt Maher to discuss Aston Villa's signing of Middlesbrough youngster Morgan Rogers.
Rogers completed a £15m move from the Riverside on transfer deadline day
Rogers completed a £15m move from the Riverside on transfer deadline day
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00:00 So Matt, I just wanted to get your thoughts on that deal really. Coming in from Middlesbrough,
00:04 obviously done very well at the Riverside since joining from Manchester City. I think he said
00:10 in his statement, 'dream come true' and all the things you'd expect him to say as he returns to
00:15 the West Midlands. So how do you look at the deal and how does he really fit into Unai Emery's plans
00:21 at the moment at Villa? Well, obviously he's another forward. They're letting Bertrand Trori
00:27 leave on a free transfer. He's probably going to join Villarreal so there's a space there.
00:34 Trori was told at the start of the month that he could go. So they've got room for another forward.
00:43 Look, it's an interesting deal, isn't it? He's never kicked a ball in the Premier League,
00:48 spent four years at Manchester City, most of those out on loan. He's had half a season at
00:52 Middlesbrough. Speaking to some of the guys who cover Middlesbrough who were at the games the
00:58 night when Newcastle were at Villa Park, discussions over whether he'd get into Middlesbrough's
01:02 strongest team at the minute. It's just an interesting deal all round. I think Unai Emery
01:09 has clearly seen something, or Villarreal have seen something in him. He was highly rated at
01:13 Albion. That's why Manchester City went for him. Obviously, Villa are looking to compete, not
01:27 so much at Manchester City, but up at the top end of the Premier League. You're looking for players
01:32 that can be in a top six Premier League team. Clearly, they feel, as Unai Emery said the other
01:38 night when he spoke about him after the game, that he's got the potential. I think he's one of
01:44 those players where perhaps supporters probably shouldn't expect too much too soon. I don't think
01:50 they're going to be putting a huge amount of pressure on him, that's for sure. Huge opportunities
01:58 for Rodgers. Dream come true is probably the way to describe it for him, really,
02:08 to be back at a Premier League club after six months, after stepping down into the Championship.
02:14 He's got plenty of potential. He can play anywhere across the forward line.
02:19 I think Villa quite like his versatility. I think I've used the word about three or four times now,
02:29 but potential. It's going to be really interesting to see how he develops.
02:35 Unai Emery, since he's come to the club, has made so many players at Villa better.
02:42 You just go through the starting XI and there's players who have come on leaps and bounds. If he
02:49 can do the same with Morgan Rodgers, who's got plenty of talent, then it could be a deal that
02:56 in a few years' time looks like an absolute bargain. It's 15 million if everything comes off,
03:04 or 16 million if you listen to Middlesbrough. Villa are paying 8 million up front and obviously
03:12 they end up paying 15 million or 16 million. Then he'll have been a fantastic player for them
03:17 because he'll have achieved all of the add-ons, all of the targets. Interesting deal, to say the least.