Aston Villa have struck gold on numerous occasions in the transfer market but one player has now proven how irreplaceable he is to Unai Emery.
Aston Villa’s current squad is littered with some unbelievably talented players who were captured for bargains or developed through the academy.
For instance, striker Ollie Watkins was signed for £28 million from Brentford in 2020, with Villa now demanding more than £100 million for any club interested in purchasing the forward.
Likewise, Jacob Ramsey – a player who has risen to first-team stardom through the academy – is now valued at least £40 million and continues to go from strength to strength.
Ramsey and Watkins aren’t the only two players to see their value skyrocket under Unai Emery, as one talent signed in the January transfer window has proven his worth to Villa.
- READ MORE: Unai Emery shares clear verdict on Aston Villa ace Ollie Watkins after ‘terrible’ miss v Arsenal
Aston Villa struck gold with the signing of Morgan Rogers
In the January transfer window, Aston Villa made four new signings but by far the most eye-catching was a £16 million deal to bring Morgan Rogers to Villa Park.
Captured from Championship side Middlesborough, many questioned whether the 22-year-old was worth the money spent but like Gabby Agbonlahor said, Rogers has now proven the doubters wrong.
Last season, the powerful attacking midfielder was on fire towards the end, scoring three goals in his final five matches.
The Englishman has since carried that excellent form across to this campaign. He was brilliant in the 2-1 win over West Ham and despite losing 2-0 against Arsenal, Rogers was labelled ‘the best player on the park’ as he dominated Declan Rice and Thomas Partey.
That Gunners duo couldn’t live with his sheer strength and pace, as he floored them on numerous occasions. Tim Sherwood now thinks Rogers is worth £80 million after that performance while Jamie Redknapp said he gave Arsenal ‘nightmares’.
Redknapp also dubbed Rogers as ‘unplayable’ on Saturday night, and that just demonstrates how Emery has unearthed a bargain from the second tier.
Rogers is irreplaceable to Aston Villa
Rogers possesses a unique skill set; he’s physically big and strong but he’s also an elegant ball-carrier, who is very difficult to stop when in full flow.
Arsenal discovered that in their win at Villa Park and the young attacking midfielder also proved how irreplaceable he is to Emery.
There’s no one else in Villa’s squad who can carry the ball through the thirds quite like him. He’s able to alleviate the pressure placed on his defence and carve open chances in attack.
It therefore feels only a matter of time before Rogers explodes into life with goals and assists, as that is one part of his game that needs improvement.
Once he becomes an output machine in attack, Villa will have a complete player on their hands, who is destined for an England call-up.
