Chelsea are already planning to move for a marquee player in 2026 as one of their prime targets, and he has a special connection with the club’s director of professional football and scouting, Joe Shields.
Enzo Maresca’s side enjoyed a productive transfer window, even making a £3 million profit despite spending £285 million on new signings.
Joao Pedro
Noni Madueke
Jamie Gittens
João Félix
Jorrel Hato
Djordje Petrovic
Liam Delap
Lesley Ugochukwu
Dario Essugo
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall
Mamadou Sarr
Renato Veiga
Estevao
Armando Broja
Kendry Paez
Carney Chukwuemeka
Alejandro Garnacho
Mathis Amougou
Basir Humphreys
Kepa Arrizabalaga
Marcus Bettinelli
Christopher Nkunku
Nicolas Jackson (obligation to buy)
Alfie Gilchrist
Lucas Bergstrom
Ben Chilwell
Chelsea’s seismic £288 million income just from player sales has seriously contributed towards navigating the Premier League’s PSR loss threshold, which stipulates that clubs are permitted a loss of £105 million over a rolling three-year period.
With the transfer windows in Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Portugal and Mexico still open, according to FIFA, there is also still time for Chelsea to offload the likes of Raheem Sterling, who’s on a reported £325,000-per-week, and defender Axel Disasi.
Saudi side Neom SC are said to have made a £17 million bid for Disasi, but it is unclear whether Chelsea will accept this low-ball proposal or if the Frenchman himself would reconsider leaving Europe.
Offloading the likes of Disasi and Sterling may well be crucial to partly fund what would be a marquee 2026 move for Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers.
The England international, who is valued at around £80 million right now by Unai Emery’s side, was Villa’s standout star of 2024/2025 with 14 goals and 16 assists — including contributions in big games against the likes of PSG, Tottenham and Man City.
A deal for the 23-year-old will be extremely difficult, and despite some contact from Spurs before the deadline on Monday, Villa were in absolutely no rush to sell their prized asset during the last window.
Chelsea "just waiting" to sign Morgan Rogers amid Joe Shields connection
According to TBR Football and journalist Graeme Bailey, Chelsea have their eyes on Rogers ahead of a potential move next year, and they have a secret weapon in the form of Shields.
“Sources have told me all summer that Morgan Rogers was always Chelsea’s top midfielder target – Joe Shields wants him, and frankly, it has been described as ‘staggering’ to imagine him going elsewhere,” said Bailey.
“Rogers hugely respects Shields, one of his best friends, Cole Palmer, is there, and it is an ideal scenario. Villa held off interest this summer for the attacker, but Chelsea are just waiting for Rogers.”
The former Middlesbrough sensation is likely to be one of the next biggest Premier League names to leave their clubs in 2026, especially considering Villa’s well documented issues when it comes to navigating PSR.
If Chelsea is his next port of call, there is no denying Rogers would be a stellar signing.
“He’s just got that little bit of guile about him, that little bit of turn of pace. My word, for his age, he’s got that body strength that possibly like a [Wayne] Rooney when he was really young,” said Glenn Hoddle about Rogers earlier this year.
“He’s strong for a youngster. He won’t get knocked off the ball. He’s a confident lad and he believes in his own ability. When you think about that type of player coming through, he’s only going to get better.”
