Man City sold him for just £1.5m, now he ranks alongside Salah and Fernandes in the Premier League

But it is a lesser-known City academy player who has taken the Premier League by storm this season.

Morgan Rogers now ranks amongst the Premier League’s best

Only Mohamed Salah and Bruno Fernandes have more goal involvements in 2025 than Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers.

Rogers spent four years at City’s academy before being sold to Middlesborough for £1.5m at the start of last season. He settled in well with 15 goal involvements in 33 games, impressing Middlesborough gaffer Michael Carrick.

His performances would quickly attract interest from the top flight, with Aston Villa swooping in with a move from Rogers.

He would make 11 appearances for Villa that season, scoring three goals to help them finish in a Champions League spot.

This season, however, Rogers has been a monster. Starting every game under Unai Emery both in the league and in Europe, the 22-year-old may just be Villa’s most indispensable player.

With 14 goals and 10 assists in 46 games, he has hit new levels and appears to be the first name on the teamsheet every week. Rogers has become a leader in the Villa dressing room and is undoubtedly one of the players Pep Guardiola would love to have back as City rebuild for the future.

Why Man City sold Rogers in 2023

Like Cole Palmer, Rogers was hitting his stride at the most inopportune moment as far as City were concerned. Arriving at the club in 2019, Rogers was 17 and would find it difficult to break into Man City’s established midfield and attack.

As he got older, opportunities became even harder to come by as Man City went on a four-year run of title wins.

Following a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa earlier in the season, where Rogers bagged Villa’s decisive goal, Pep was asked about the decision to let him leave.

He cited competition for minutes as the sole reason: “Everybody knows how good Morgan [Rogers] is… In that moment, when they arrive, they are two or three years younger and in that moment, they are Kevin [De Bruyne] in their prime and David Silva and Bernardo [Silva] and Riyad [Mahrez] and Leroy [Sane] and Raheem [Sterling] and sometimes, it’s difficult and it’s the only reason why.”

It’s a double-edged sword that has sliced Manchester City this season.

When looking at their struggles this campaign, a lack of physicality and running in the middle of the park has been detrimental—areas in which Rogers is elite.

It’s hard to put too much blame on City, who have certainly gotten the most out of their time as the best team in England, but as that period possibly draws to a close, they will surely look at lost young talent like Rogers with a tinge of regret.