Aston Villa Star Eyed By Manchester United This Summer: Would Selling Him Cost The Club?

Aston Villa have built something genuine and increasingly difficult to ignore under Unai Emery. The 2025-26 campaign marks the club’s 151st year and their seventh straight season in the Premier League , with the group also balancing the FA Cup, the EFL Cup, and the UEFA Europa League. After beating Chelsea on 27 December 2025, Villa hit their best winning streak in England’s top division since 1910, putting together eight wins in a row. As it stands, Villa hold a six-point cushion over sixth place, which is a gap that shows just how far Emery has taken this side, turning them from mid-table regulars into consistent European contenders.

With momentum building at Villa Park, ESPN reports that Manchester United interim manager Michael Carrick has personally recommended Morgan Rogers as a summer transfer target. Carrick is reportedly pushing the director of football, Jason Wilcox, to make a move for the midfielder as part of another major rebuild at Old Trafford. Carrick, who took over for Rúben Amorim in January and is a frontrunner for the permanent job, knows Rogers well from their time at Middlesbrough. According to ESPN, Villa won’t even look at an offer unless it’s a club-record fee, so any potential deal is going to be a massive hurdle for United.

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – MARCH 22: Morgan Rogers of Aston Villa warms up prior to the Premier League match between Aston Villa and West Ham United at Villa Park on March 22, 2026 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

The numbers back up that high valuation. In 32 Premier League games this season, Rogers has 13 goal involvements, with eight goals and five assists, averaging 0.41 involvements per 90 minutes. His non-penalty expected goals (npxG) per 90 is 0.36, giving him an overall npxG of 10.95. That output puts him in the top 91st percentile of Premier League players, according to Footy Stats . He’s also fired off 72 shots with 30 on target, a solid 41.67% accuracy.

To me, the answer is a clear yes, and the data support it. Villa have spent years building a squad with the chemistry to fight for Champions League spots year after year, and Rogers is right at the heart of that. Selling him to a direct rival like Manchester United , who are only a few points behind Villa in the standings, would feel like a massive step backwards, regardless of the profit.

Replacing a player in the top 91st percentile for npxG isn’t something you do easily or on the cheap. Aston Villa should be holding out for a massive fee, but even then, it’s hard to imagine the money covering the hole he’d leave in their attack.