Morgan Rogers: Liverpool deny talks for Villa star as Man United circle

Liverpool have distanced themselves from suggestions they have opened negotiations for Aston Villa playmaker Morgan Rogers, leaving Manchester United and a surprise Paris Saint-Germain bid poised to shape one of the summer’s most intriguing transfer battles.

Rogers, 23, has emerged as one of the Premier League’s most influential No. 10s after registering 10 goals and seven assists this season, cementing his place in Thomas Tuchel’s England plans and reportedly displacing Jude Bellingham at the heart of the national side. His rise follows a breakout 2024-25 campaign in which he supplied 14 goals and 16 assists across all competitions, transforming an £8 million February arrival from Middlesbrough into Villa’s creative heartbeat.

Sources at Anfield have flatly denied reports that Liverpool held talks with the player’s representatives, while Rogers’ camp insist no conversations have taken place with any suitor despite mounting interest from across Europe. The denial re-opens the door for Manchester United, who are understood to regard the West Midlands native as a “key reinforcement” under INEOS’ rebuild. Any Old Trafford move, however, hinges on the future of captain Bruno Fernandes, whose potential departure would accelerate the club’s pursuit of a marquee replacement.

United’s caretaker boss Michael Carrick, who oversaw Rogers’ development at Middlesbrough, is an admirer of the midfielder, having helped unlock the potential that once lay dormant during a stint at Manchester City’s academy after leaving West Bromwich Albion in 2019. Rogers’ Championship exploits under Carrick propelled Middlesbrough to the Carabao Cup semi-finals and ultimately earned him the Villa switch.

Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham remain attentive, yet PSG’s late entry threatens to blow the race apart. The French champions were “hugely impressed” by Rogers’ Champions League displays against them last term and have maintained a watching brief ever since, prepared to pounce should the market dynamics shift.

For now, Rogers is said to be “fully focused on Villa and England” ahead of this summer’s World Cup, with Villa under no pressure to sell their prized asset unless a mammoth offer materialises. United may hold the strongest domestic hand, but without Fernandes’ exit, the pieces cannot fall into place, leaving the saga finely poised as Europe’s elite circle.