Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick ‘would love to have kept’ Morgan Rogers but can understand why the forward jumped at the chance to join Premier League high-flyers Aston Villa for £15 million.
Bringing in four players, Aston Villa were certainly one of the busier clubs in the winter window.
And Morgan Rogers, the £15 million deadline day acquisition, is in many ways a signing typical of Villa’s plans and ambitions. All of their new additions were aged 23 and under – Rogers just 21 – with a Villa side who appointed Monchi as their head of football operations taking an approach similar to the Spaniard’s Sevilla side in their Europa League-conquering heyday, investing in youth and potential while trusting Unai Emery to turn rough diamonds into polished gems.
Aston Villa sign Middlesbrough’s Morgan Rogers
Rogers was not a guaranteed starter at Middlesbrough, and arrives after scoring just two goals in 26 Championship appearances. Aston Villa are betting not on the player he is today but on the one he could become, however, Boro boss Carrick disappointed to lose a forward of such obvious talent.
“You have to be realistic. Morgan is a Birmingham lad. (And Aston Villa) are going well in the Premier League. It’s a massive opportunity for him and we understand that,” Carrick sighs, the Halesowen-born Rogers returning to the Midlands after a spell in West Brom’s academy (Gazzette Live).
“I’m not saying that will happen for everyone. (Selling our key players) is not a policy of the club by any stretch, but you have to take everything on an individual basis.
“That was right for everyone, even though we would love to have kept him and worked him and seen how good he could become. But that’s football. We’ll move on as Morgan will but we wish him the very best and hope he fulfils all his potential.”
Villa, ironically enough, helped pave the way for Rogers’ arrival by selling Finn Azaz to Middlesbrough earlier in the window.
Rogers out, Finn Azaz in at the Riverside
“Finn was brought in so that made us stronger going into that. That was in many ways a like-for-like with Morgan,” Carrick adds.
“Morgan, you have to take it as a one-off situation because every transfer is different. It was one of those that fit for everyone in the end. It is what it is, mixed feelings.
“We looked forward to developing Morgan and help him reach his potential. But, at the same time, we’re realistic and understood the situation. In terms of the squad, we’re strong, we have good options, we have boys coming back fit and are looking forward to the games coming up.”
Rogers made his Villa debut off the bench in Saturday’s 5-0 shellacking of Sheffield United. The Premier League dark horses also signed Australia goalkeeper Joe Gauci, Serbian right-back Kosta Nedeljkovic and Arsenal defender Lino Sousa.
Sousa, like Rogers, arrives after spending time as a youngster at West Bromwich Albion.
The post 'We'd love to have kept him': Manager admits he has 'mixed feelings' about £15m Aston Villa move appeared first on HITC.
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