Aston Villa are now looking to sign a £26m midfielder, with Unai Emery personally an admirer, believing he would be a perfect fit in his system.
Villa looking to sign new midfielder amid Rogers rumours
Morgan Rogers didn’t exactly make a flying start to the season for Villa, but the attacking midfielder has turned things around in recent weeks, scoring against Tottenham Hotspur last time out, while also catching the eye at international level.
Indeed, the 23-year-old scored in England’s 3-0 victory over Wales last week, which led to high praise from Roy Keane, who compared him to one of the Three Lions’ greatest-ever players.
The former Manchester United man said: “He has strength and that physique. He has awareness. He is a nightmare for a midfielder or defender. We can talk all day about getting close [to him], but when you give him an opportunity he will take it.
“He’s enjoying it and I said this before. Sometimes he reminds me of Gazza in his prime. He is strong and powerful. He holds people off.”
As such, it is concerning that there continues to be speculation surrounding the England international’s future, with it recently being revealed that Chelsea are leading the race for his signature, with the Blues now ahead of Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain.
Perhaps with that in mind, Aston Villa have now joined the race for a new midfielder, namely Getafe star Luis Milla, as Emery believes the 31-year-old would be a perfect fit in his midfield.
Milla has established himself as a key player for Getafe, and the Spanish club are hesitant to sanction a departure, although they have set a relatively affordable asking price of €30m (£26m).
The Madrid-born maestro may have a decision to make, however, with Atletico Madrid also in the race for his signature, but a move to Villa Park is considered an equally attractive proposition.
Assist king Milla could excel at Villa Park
Much like Rogers, the Spaniard is a very creative player, having chipped in with five assists in La Liga already this season, while also placing in the 95th percentile for assists per 90 over the past year, when compared to other midfielders.
As such, the Getafe midfielder could flourish at Villa Park, and the fact Emery is personally keen is a good sign, given the way in which the manager has transformed the club over the past few years.
That said, there are some doubts over the potential signing, with the former Granada man now 31-years-old, meaning there is unlikely to be much re-sell value.
If Aston Villa can get a deal done on the cheap, Milla could still be a savvy signing, but the main priority should be to keep hold of Rogers.