Xabi Alonso reveals how Morgan Rogers feels after rejecting Arsenal for Chelsea
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has said that Morgan Rogers is happy to have moved to Stamford Bridge, as the Blues prepare to take on Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium this weekend.
Arsenal will take on Chelsea at home in the Premier League on Sunday.
The London derby between Mikel Arteta’s side and Alonso’s team promises to be hugely exciting.
Among the sub-plots in the Premier League game will be Rogers turning up for Chelsea against Arsenal.
Chelsea signed Rogers from Aston Villa for £117million in the summer transfer window.
It was Arsenal who were initially in advanced talks for the England international.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta wanted to sign Rogers to play on the left wing.
The 24-year-old, who is also able to play as an attacking midfielder, himself was ready to leave Villa for Arsenal.
However, Arsenal did not think that Rogers was worth £117m, which led Chelsea to swoop in and secure his services.
As Chelsea prepare to face Arsenal this week, Alonso was asked about the Blues beating the Gunners to the signing of Rogers.
Xabi Alonso hails Morgan Rogers ahead of Arsenal vs Chelsea
Alonso said, as quoted in Football.London: “Talking about the squad planning, and making big decisions, the decision to get Morgan was a big one.
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“He will be a key player for the next six-seven years.
“His chemistry with the whole team is great, with his striker partners, it’s fantastic and it gives us a lot of hope for the future.
“He looks really happy, and that’s important.”
Ahead of the London derby, Arsenal legend Ian Wright said that he is gutted that the Gunners did not sign Rogers.
Wright said on Stick to Football: “It’s not a disastrous window but if I’m Mikel, I wouldn’t be happy with how this window has gone simply because we’ve gone another window where we have not got that forward.
“Mikel has talked about getting players to take us to that level, he did it again after Paris, where we didn’t have that player to break them.
“That is the player Mikel wanted.
“They chased Vini until the end of the earth and left Morgan Rogers dangling.”
Wright continued: “I think we did need Rogers.
“You say we have got those types of players but that is what Mikel wanted.
“It is a position where we need that player.
“Of course, Saka is back, Odegaard is back, Havertz is back and playing together, but he wanted that difference-maker.
‘He [Rogers] is the one we were linked with ages ago and he would have loved to have come, I can feel it.
“There’s something that’s happened with Arsenal with the way they were going for Vini.
“If you’re a player and you see a team going for him, you think, ‘I thought they were interested in me?’
“It is the player the manager wanted.
“Chelsea thought, well if you’re not going to pay it, we’ll pay it.
“I’m gutted, I would have loved him to come.”
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