Rogers and Anderson smash British transfer record in £233m rush
Chelsea and Manchester City have reset the British transfer market with huge deals for Morgan Rogers and Elliot Anderson, ESPN reports.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
The British transfer record has gone twice in three weeks, with Manchester City paying £116 million for Elliot Anderson before Chelsea edged past them with a £117 million deal for Morgan Rogers, according to ESPN.
ESPN’s Sam Tighe reported that City struck their agreement with Nottingham Forest for Anderson at about $155.5 million, while Chelsea’s move for Aston Villa forward Rogers came in at roughly $156.9 million. Both players are English, both are 23, and both have become regulars for England since Thomas Tuchel took charge in 2025, ESPN said.
The two fees put Rogers and Anderson fourth and fifth on ESPN’s list of the most expensive footballers in history. They are also the 12th and 13th players to cost £100 million or more, with eight of those deals coming since 2020 as fees have climbed.
Why the prices went wild
ESPN pointed to several reasons behind the record numbers: the premium on English players, the extra cost of buying proven Premier League talent, and the long contracts both players had at their clubs.
Anderson was tied to Forest until 2029, while Rogers signed a Villa extension last November running to 2031. That gave both selling clubs strong hands in talks, ESPN reported.
There was also performance to back up the spending. Anderson led the Premier League last season in duels won, with 297, and touches, with 3,308, according to ESPN. Tighe described that mix as evidence of a midfielder who can both keep possession and win it back.
Rogers produced 25 goals and assists across all competitions for Aston Villa, ESPN reported. He helped Villa finish fourth and qualify for the Champions League, and scored in the Europa League final as the club won the trophy.
City’s need was in midfield, with ESPN citing a replacement for Bernardo Silva, a longer-term option for Rodri, or a player who could cover both ideas. Chelsea, meanwhile, had long-standing interest in Rogers and moved while Villa faced pressure from UEFA to raise revenue under a settlement agreement, ESPN reported. ESPN also noted Chelsea are under a UEFA settlement agreement and may need player sales to balance the move.
Why Rogers is seen as the riskier bet
ESPN’s analysis argues that history is kinder to giant fees spent on midfielders and defenders than on attackers. The report cites Declan Rice and Moisés Caicedo as £100 million midfield signings who have strengthened their reputations since moving in 2023.
By contrast, ESPN lists several costly attacking deals that did not meet expectations, including João Félix, Antoine Griezmann, Philippe Coutinho and Romelu Lukaku. The report says forwards tend to be judged more sharply on goals and assists, while deeper players can show value through a wider range of work.
That is where Rogers’ Chelsea move gets tricky. ESPN reported that he was dispossessed 80 times in the Premier League last season, more than any other player, and lost the ball in the middle or attacking third 72 times, also a league high.
Anderson’s role at City is projected by ESPN as more controlled: winning the ball, keeping moves ticking and helping pin opponents back. Rogers, the report says, is more likely to deliver explosive moments but also more visible off-days because of the nature of attacking play.
Both clubs have paid record money for young England players. ESPN’s conclusion is sharp enough: City’s Anderson deal looks built on a safer midfield profile, while Chelsea’s Rogers move carries the brighter spark and the bigger burn risk.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.