AC Milan special advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic has launched a scathing attack on modern transfer valuations following reports that Chelsea have agreed a deal worth £117 million for Aston Villa forward Morgan Rogers.
The Swedish legend, working as a television pundit during the World Cup, questioned whether any player with just one strong season merits such an extravagant fee. The reports emerged just hours before Rogers, who turns 24 this year, was due to represent England in the third-place play-off against France on Saturday evening.
Ibrahimovic: ‘Not every player is worth £100m’
Speaking to Fox Sports, Ibrahimovic did not hide his disdain for the current state of the market. “They need to stop this immediately, not every player is worth £100m, it’s getting out of hand, to be honest,” he stated. “Not every player with one good season is worth £100m. I wonder how much Lamine Yamal, Vinicius and Michael Olise will be worth if Rogers is £117m.”
Rogers enjoyed a productive campaign at Villa Park, contributing 14 goals and 12 assists across 55 competitive appearances last season. Those figures represent 26 direct goal contributions for the versatile forward, who has reportedly caught the attention of several top clubs with his performances.
However, Ibrahimovic’s comments reflect growing concern among European football figures that English clubs are distorting the market beyond recognition. The former Manchester United striker suggested the baseline for transfers is shifting rapidly, creating unsustainable conditions for clubs outside the Premier League bubble.
Premier League financial dominance
The reported deal for Rogers underlines the widening financial gulf between Premier League sides and their continental rivals. English clubs benefit collectively from lucrative television rights agreements that competitors cannot match, allowing them to dominate negotiations for sought-after talent.
This financial muscle was also evident in Chelsea’s recent success in the bidding war for Atalanta wing-back Marco Palestra, with the Blues said to have blown Inter Milan out of the water to secure the defender’s signature.
Elsewhere, Tottenham Hotspur narrowly avoided relegation last term yet still sanctioned a £100m expenditure to sign Italy international Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United. This further illustrates the spending power available even to teams that struggled in the lower reaches of the English top flight.
Neither Chelsea nor Aston Villa have officially confirmed the Rogers agreement. The forward’s potential move comes as he approaches his 24th birthday, with his club statistics showing 26 direct goal contributions in the most recent campaign.