Carrick Tells United: Break the Bank for Villa’s Rogers

Michael Carrick isn’t whispering; he’s bellowing from the touchline. If Manchester United want star quality this summer, he believes the cheque needs to be eye-wateringly large — and it should have Morgan Rogers’ name on it. The Aston Villa forward, enjoying a breakout campaign at Villa Park, has been given a ringing endorsement by Carrick, who worked closely with him at Middlesbrough and clearly thinks he’s tailor-made for Old Trafford.

United’s record on the line

Here’s the crux: Villa have Rogers locked down on a long deal to 2031, so they hold all the cards. Any approach will have to stare down a valuation that could top the fee Manchester City paid for Jack Grealish in 2021 — we’re talking north of £100m. If United go that high, Rogers would leapfrog Paul Pogba as the club’s most expensive signing ever. That’s the scale we’re dealing with.

Why Carrick is so sold on Rogers

Carrick knows the lad’s game inside-out from their time together at Middlesbrough in 2023–24, when Rogers rattled in seven goals and served up nine assists across 33 outings. The forward’s blend of power, composure and timing made him a nightmare between the lines in the Championship, and since a February 2024 move to Villa — initially around the £15m mark — he’s looked every inch a Premier League climber. Factor in Middlesbrough’s 20% sell-on and you see why Villa’s stance is bullish: the price was only ever going one way.

It’s no surprise, then, that Carrick has reportedly told director of football Jason Wilcox that Rogers fits the blueprint for how he wants United to play. The message is simple: get him, and do it early.

Rival interest and the market reality

United won’t have the dancefloor to themselves. Chelsea and Arsenal have been admiring the forward’s rise, and PSG are hovering too. Villa, with that rock-solid contract through 2031, can afford to play hardball — and they will. Reports suggest United’s internal enthusiasm has only grown after Carrick’s recommendation, but the clock is ticking, and the competition is real.

If you’re tracking the summer transfer market as closely as the title race, our curated list of best betting sites is a handy starting point for the latest odds and specials. But make no mistake: it’ll take nine figures to truly test Villa’s resolve on Rogers.

Defensive checks continue: Murillo on the radar

While the forward chase grabs headlines, United haven’t parked their search for a left-footed centre-back. Despite Harry Maguire’s contract extension, the club have carried out checks on Nottingham Forest’s Murillo, who is understood to be open to a move. With Matthijs de Ligt sidelined for months by a back issue and Lisandro Martínez battling a calf problem, the need for cover — and quality — is obvious. Forest, stuck in a dogfight near the bottom with seven games left, could face a summer of tough decisions.

Pundit’s verdict

Is Rogers a £100m footballer? In today’s market, the number is almost beside the point. For United, it’s about profile, production and trajectory. He’s 23, ascendant, and already trusted by the man shaping United’s direction. That’s the hallmark of a statement signing. If the club want to put down a marker and back Carrick’s vision, this is it. Wait too long, and one of the London giants — or a Parisian powerhouse — will happily nick the headline.

United need goals, guile and a front-line focal point for the next five years. Carrick thinks Rogers is that man. Now it’s over to the Old Trafford hierarchy to decide how loudly they want to shout this summer.