I think the Rogers transfer is a done deal, we've signed his replacement Azzaz . And it's all quiet on the western front. No denial or he's not going anywhere, the hold up might be Tuesdays game,
If we get 8 to 10m . Money for a striker
This is certainly an example of what the Boro management team are trying to achieve in identifying young players who we can improve and sell for substantial profits. However, nobody expected it to happen within six months and the questions have to be asked
1. how much more will Rogers be worth after a full season and what difference can he make to our challenge for promotion.
2. Will his head be turned by this chance to go to a top six EPL club in his native midlands.
3. How replaceable is he in the Boro set-up.
4. what sell-on fee, loan back etc etc can we negotiate.
I suppose that it also comes down to the size of the fee that Villa are prepared to pay. If we’re only talking about a profit of, say, 1-2 million is it worth doing the deal now or taking a risk that we can make much more in the relatively near future.
its a vindication of our transfer policy but, honestly, one that we could perhaps have done without as we still have a lot to play for this season.
UTB
I think the Rogers transfer is a done deal, we've signed his replacement Azzaz . And it's all quiet on the western front. No denial or he's not going anywhere, the hold up might be Tuesdays game,
If we get 8 to 10m . Money for a striker
Fair call. A fee of that size would make a difference but will Villa go that far?
@selwynoz. I would be very surprised, astounded even, if Villa bid around 10million.
You could just not turn that down. It could certainly hinder our chances going forward though.
@selwynoz I think it's simply too early and the timing's wrong. I very much doubt we could spend any money on a striker in time.
You never know what the future holds in football (on in general, really) but there's every chance Rogers keeps developing and is worth a lot more this summer.
Lot of people talking about the "Brighton model" and so on. Yes, the idea is to develop and sell for a profit (literally, this is the case for all clubs in football outside of the moneyed elite) but the club doesn't sell at the first interest.
I have no inside information but I see no reason why we can't successfully ward off the approach and then see where we are in the summer.
@deleriad We missed a good opportunity to gain promotion last season. At this moment only one slot sixth place, appears to up for grabs. Whilst it may be a little difficult to achieve and then enter the play offs, we have to go for it.
Yes, we need ALL of our best players NOW. As you say, the summer will come and who knows what.
It certainly could put the Finn Azzaz purchase into some context. He has come from Villa. So if they want Rogers they would have to have played nicely with us over that.
I wonder how the sell-on clause with Citeh works. Is their cut from the headline fee, or do they get a cut of any add-ons or sell-on that Boro might agree with Villa? Unless we do come clear with several millions we can keep, it perhaps might be best for us not to do a deal till summer. However, there is the player to think of. If his head has been turned (and I suspect it will have been) we are unlikely to get the best from him going forward so do you simply take the money now? I think that you do.
There are very few, if any, must-keep players in our squad. Maybe Hayden Hackney but even then, he would have a (very high) price.
Certainly Rogers isn’t a must-keep.
That’s not to dismiss him. He really has come on nicely over the season and you can see that he has all the technical and physical attributes required to be a top level player.
He still lacks a ruthlessness and killer touch to his end product in my opinion - a really lovely footballer but not yet effective enough in the opposition box.
Were he to find that - and it’s something that I think has to come from him more than his coaches - then he would pretty much be the full package.
At 21, he has the time to develop a lot more still but it is that difficult-to-coach mental aspect that will take him to the next level in my opinion. There are no guarantees.
We have plenty of cover in the attacking areas - or will do once the Asian Cup concludes - but I see no reason not to hold out for a major fee. Yes, Rogers will likely want to go but I don’t see a disruptive personality in him and have a lot of faith in Carrick’s handling of players. I feel reasonably confident that denying him the move won’t cause major issues.
if it’s £10m with add-ons then fair enough. Much less and I wouldn’t entertain it.
We could do without Villa’s pursuit of Rodger’s but unfortunately when Premiership teams show a determined interest in a lower Division player there is usually only one outcome. Plus he’s got to be interested in signing for a quality Premiership team with a hike in his salary. The only downside for Rodger’s is he wouldn’t get a lot of games but I’m sure Villa could easily sell the Club and his prospects to him.
I would guess Villa may be prepared to pay around £2m to £3m. Clearly I’m guessing but why pay more for a player with limited Championship experience ? Certainly not upwards of say £5m.
He would be better staying at BORO until the end of the season and continue to improve , hopefully score a few more goals and then he would be much more attractive to other Premiership teams.
More importantly , for BORO, his selling price could easily double. Although not as good and as experienced at Championship level, but didn’t Archer go for a much bigger fee .
Philip of Huddersfield
The reports that Rogers is Emre's top choice for a winger to strengthen his attack caught me completely by surprise. The biggest shock on this front since Liverpool decided that the answer to their goalkeeping problems was Brad Jones.
I expressed both my admiration of and frustration with Rogers here a few weeks ago, an analysis well illustrated at Millwall where he was visible in the first half only by his inability to hold on to the ball. In the second he played well and laid on our third goal with some good control and a lovely pass to Forss.
He is a talented and creative player, and has the ability to see and execute passes that no one else can (eg for Jones's goal v Preston and Coburn's v Huddersfield). And he can take close markers out of the game with one exquisite turn.But he has a tendency to hold on to the ball too long, to run into trouble and to lose the ball in vulnerable areas. He can also fluff his lines when it comes to a simple pass or an easy chance.
He has never even been first choice for us, a middle ranking Championship side, when we have had a full squad to pick from, but has generally come on as a more than useful sub.
It would not surprise me if he fulfilled his promise to become a Premier League player in due course. But I wouldn't wager the house let alone millions of pounds on it (my house is much cheaper) and he is some distance from achieving that goal just yet.
For my money Hackney, McGree and even VDB and Fry of our current squad are much closer.
Villa fans weighing in the balance the failing eyesight of an octogenarian and the considered verdict one of the outstanding international coaches and talent spotters of our day backed by a proven recruitment team themselves supported by analysts and statisticians are fully entitled to reach their own conclusions.
On the deal itself I doubt whether Villa's initial offer amounted to any more than £3-4 m.
This in itself would represent 100% profit for Boro in just over 6 months, minus the assumed 20% sell-on payment to City.
The renewed offer may have increased this a little with add ons, sell-on clauses and perhaps the possibility of a loan- back option for the rest of the season.
But I doubt if Villa will be be prepared to offer any more than £5m. It is enough for them to have sown the seeds and made an offer that the player will find attractive.
We will not wish to hang on to a player who wishes to be away. We have the example of Ramirez who became a liability to the entire club when we turned down his hoped for move to Leicester.
Against this Gibson is not, and will not wish to be seen as, an easy touch.
So there is still some negotiating to be done and I suspect that things will be left on hold until the consequences of a rather important cup-tie are played out over the next week.
If reports that Rogers is at the top of Emre's shopping list are true then we may just be able to push Villa to £6m, but I wouldn't hold my breath.
Isn’t there a chance that we sell to Villa but retain the player on loan until the end of the season? I’m not sure if that’s a good option but it sounds better than losing him at this stage in the season.
Why would Villa pay X amount then loan him back to Boro when it is reported that they need him now and why would Boro sell him now when they could wait until at least summer under that scenario 🤔.
Come on BORO.
@exmil For a bit of certainty? Deals are often structured in ways that look odd to supporters but make sense to the clubs involved. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.
I agree with much that has been said about the Rogers proposed deal to Villa - plus it's hard to see him starting for Villa this season as it will take him a while to adjust to the PL. I guess a couple of goals at Chelsea is what he needs to seal the deal and push up what Villa are prepared to pay - but then he's going to miss out playing in the cup final so maybe he'll turn them down 😉
I hadn;t thought that Rogers, for all that he has shown improvement in his short time at Boro, would be considered "good enough" for a team like Aston Villa at this stage of his career. I could see him at at club like Wolves or Palace or Nottingham Forest if he continues to improve, but Villa currently stands second in the Premier League and, though that is higher than most of us would have predicted as the season started, they will now certainly be fighting hard, and realistically, for a Champions League spot this season. So as others have said, one could imagine him having very little playing time if he were to move to Villa. That's not to say that Rogers won't further develop and that he won't in due course be a top league player. He remains, after all, still only 21 years old (born 26.07.2002) so might be expected to continue to develop. So far he has played only 25 games (6 goals) on loan to League One Lincoln City, 20 games with 1 goal when on loan to Championship Blackpool and now 25 games (2 goals) at Boro.
So far as concerns Notts County's Macaulay Kevin Langstaff who was born in Stockon on Tees (he is 26 years old and will become 27 on 3rd February, so in a couple of weeks), he should have been on the radar in any event. According the internetty he was involved with Boro's academy, then has moved in turn to Stockton Town, Synthonia, Gateshead, Blyth Spartans, York City then back to Gateshead before his move to Notts County in 2022. He has been dancing all around Middlesbrough and clubs local to Boro for most of his career! For Gateshead in his second spell (2020-22) he scored 31 goals in 53 appearances and for Notts County from 2022 has scored 62 goals in 72 appearances to date. He has the record number of goals scored in a season in the National League (currently Hartlepool's 5th tier level). He is currently (at the start of 2024) the top scorer at any level of the English Football League with 20 goals in 27 appearances so far this season for Notts County in the 2nd Division (4th tier). His career stats are "rather good". On the other hand Rogers is said to be 6ft 4in tall and Langstaff is 5ft 10in.
My view is that if the offer for Rogers is good, bearing in mind in any event that some of the money will probably go back to Man City as part of the sell-on deal, then Boro might as well decide to sell. Azaz has now been signed by Boro anyway. I don't really know why Boro hasn't previously looked at Langstaff. I remember his being touted as a target when he was the top scorer in the country a couple of years ago, maybe that was early in Notts County's promotion season from the National League, and being compared to Erling Haaland. Maybe the people in the academy had their doubts, but he could only have been 12-13 years old when he was at the academy. I dread to think how I might have been judged as a lawyer on the basis of my academic record at 13 years old! For me, if you consistently score heavily at one level, as Scott did in the National League and is now continuing to do so in League 2, you'd think it worth a punt at an even higher level. After all, it's not a "one season wonder" is it, and really consistent goal scorers are hard to come by.
For those that thought Stewy was a Boro boy …….
Former Middlesbrough and Sunderland star Stewart Downing has been appointed as the new U21s assistant coach at Leeds United, the club have officially confirmed.
OFB
@original-fat-bob Are you suggesting he isn’t a Boro boy? I seem to recall two other Boro boys called Revie & Clough trying their hands at coaching in Leeds. 😉
@martin-bellamy @OFB ...not to mention a certain Boro legend taking the manager's post on Wearside...
🚨 | BREAKING: Aston Villa have submitted an improved and ‘significant’ offer to Middlesbrough for Morgan Rogers.
OFB
it could explain why Downing was so supportive of Aston Villa against Middlesbrough in the cup game and was not very complimentary about Middlesbrough tactics
OFB
@original-fat-bob Fabrizio Romano is usually well informed. Could be we have another player less to choose from, besides Jones on Tuesday night.
At this rate we will have, half a dozen under 21’s on the bench.
Middlesbrough are lining up a move for Swindon Town’s 20-Year Old defender Harrison Minturn.
OFB
Rogers update
The new reports on Saturday night suggest Aston Villa's latest bid is £8 million. With Boro preferring not to sell, they claim they've not given Aston Villa a figure for which they would sell at as they play hardball over the deal, though those same reports claim Boro would do a deal for just £2 million more.
At Boro, much like Carrick's public stance, lips remain tightly sealed due to their preference for keeping the 21-year-old. Which begs the question, if Boro aren't talking and Villa don't know, where are such reports leaking from? The more that comes out, the more inevitable it feels that Villa will eventually match Boro's asking price and land their man.
OFB
Morgan Rogers transfer latest
Middlesbrough have placed an asking price on Rogers worth up to £10 million, as they look to hold onto an increasingly important part of Michael Carrick’s team.
The 21-year-old had a slow start to life at the Riverside, but he has cemented himself as a key member of the first team squad in the last couple of months.
It is believed that the player sees this as a major opportunity, indicating that he would be keen to make the switch if possible.
OFB
OFB, do you know who makes the decision to sell a player. Is it Gibson and Bausor. Is Carrick involved etcMorgan Rogers transfer latest
Middlesbrough have placed an asking price on Rogers worth up to £10 million, as they look to hold onto an increasingly important part of Michael Carrick’s team.
The 21-year-old had a slow start to life at the Riverside, but he has cemented himself as a key member of the first team squad in the last couple of months.
It is believed that the player sees this as a major opportunity, indicating that he would be keen to make the switch if possible.
OFB
@original-fat-bob Really? Maybe he was just doing his job of seeing it as he saw it, rather than showing a Boro bias. Who knows? - I’d like to remember him as a great player for us and one who gave me a vast amount of pleasure from his performances on the pitch.
@original-fat-bob As you say OFB, leakages coming from somewhere. Who is Fabrizio Romano ringing up?
From our perspective (the fans on here) it will mean another player loss for the season, when we can least afford them. More so losing Jones, a big loss, despite his criticism. Then there is the obvious issue with Coburn and who knows about LL.
Silvera and McGree missing until possibly after the 10 February Final.
For us, not knowing how much we paid for Rodgers and how we will have to hand over to Man City, makes it difficult on what would be a good fee. At ten million, which I find hard to believe, and which MFC will never disclose, I assume we could end up with 10 less 25% paid to City less 1 paid for Rodger originally = 7 million.
Some of that will have to cover Azaz possibly, then Mr Gibson, may require a slice. So in the end there may be only a couple of million left. And we are desperate for a striker.
According to Carrick's presser today, no further bids have been received.
I'm still surprised that Villa are conducting this so publicly. This is hardly a big deal for them. I get the feeling that this may be Rogers' agent. Looking at Transfermarkt, his agent is a pretty small fish and Rogers is the biggest player he manages. I wonder if he has the sniff of money in his nostrils.
- Middlesbrough are considering a move for Swindon Town defender Harrison Minturn.
- Minturn has played 23 matches for Swindon this season, mostly in League Two, playing an increasingly important role as the season has progressed.
- The 20-year-old is contracted to Swindon until 2025, having recently signed a new deal back in October.
- OFB