- Spurs circle for Rogers
- Emery battling to hold on to stars
- Financial rules threaten Villa’s ambitions
Rogers, currently in contention for the PFA Young Player of the Year award for 2024-25, has enjoyed a meteoric rise under Emery’s guidance, cementing his reputation as one of Europe’s most exciting talents. According to the Daily Mail,Tottenham have been monitoring him closely, viewing him as a potential game-changer in Thomas Frank’s rebuild.
Despite mounting speculation, Villa remain defiant. Club chiefs insist key figures like Rogers, along with skipper John McGinn, are not for sale at any price this summer. They are preparing to reward Rogers with a lucrative contract extension, aiming to keep him at Villa Park for at least another season. Tottenham are believed to be weighing up whether to make an official bid, even if initial signals from Villa are far from encouraging.
Villa are wrestling with complex financial challenges. The club only narrowly avoided breaching Premier League spending limits last year by selling Douglas Luiz to Juventus. Just as that issue was resolved, UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules delivered another blow. In July, Villa were slapped with a £9.5 million fine for exceeding UEFA’s spending cap. The punishment came with a stark warning that failing to comply in future seasons could lead to exclusion from European competitions.
To meet UEFA’s demands, Villa must either slash their wage bill or significantly increase revenue. The sale of a top player would immediately ease the pressure, but Emery knows losing Rogers or McGinn could derail his push for another European qualification campaign. The Spaniard is already working with fine margins after Villa missed out on Champions League football to Newcastle last season on goal difference. They are set to sell Jacob Ramsey to the Magpies before the end of the week.
While a deal for Rogers is unlikely, Tottenham are continuing their pursuits of Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze and Manchester City winger Savinho.
