Aston Villa transfer ‘focus’ on Morgan Rogers rather than a new striker | OneFootball

Aston Villa's 'focus' is on getting a deal for Morgan Rogers officially over the line despite rumours linking striker Jhon Duran with a move away from Villa Park, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has revealed exclusively to GIVEMESPORT.

Duran has been linked to a late exit from Aston Villa, but a recent injury to the Colombian looks like it might've scuppered any potential transfer plans. Regardless, the west Midlands outfit remain committed to signing Rogers before Thursday's transfer deadline, with the Middlesbrough star said to want to join the one-time European champions.

Rogers open to Aston Villa switch

It's a move Aston Villa have been pushing for most of the January window, with Rogers identified as a target earlier this month. The Villans originally saw their first approach rejected by Middlesbrough, who didn't entertain the low-ball offer, before once again laughing off Aston Villa's second bid for Rogers.

It didn't deter the Villa Park outfit though, as they returned once again with a third offer, only to see it rejected as well. Reports suggest the third bid was a significant increase on the previous two, with claims it was in the region of £7.5 million.

However, that was below Middlesbrough's valuation of the player, as the North East outfit were holding out for a fee closer to £15 million instead. Romano announced on Tuesday afternoon that Boro have finally accepted a proposal from Villa with the forward now due to travel for a medical.

Middlesbrough eyeing profit after Rogers summer purchase

Part of the reason why Middlesbrough demanded such a hefty fee for Rogers is because of the sell-on clause Man City inserted into the deal. It's suggested that despite only paying £1.5 million for his services in the recent summer window, Middlesbrough could end up losing a fair chunk of that to Man City, because of the clause in the 21-year-old's contract.

Plus, Middlesbrough were in no real rush to sell, as Michael Carrick's side have seen what Rogers can deliver in just a short amount of time. Across his 33 appearances in all competitions so far this season, Rogers has found the net seven times, while registering a further nine assists, indicating just how potent he can be in the final third.

Fabrizio Romano update - Aston Villa still pushing to get Rogers deal across the line

With deadline day fast approaching, Aston Villa will hope to officially wrap up a deal for Rogers before Thursday now. When questioned about Aston Villa's transfer strategy for the final few days of the window, Romano insisted the focus was on Rogers, despite rumours linking key players away from the club.

Aston Villa fighting off key first-team sale

As mentioned by Romano, Duran is a player who has been attracting interest from Chelsea this month, with Paul Brown even telling GIVEMESPORT that the striker was being considered by the capital club. But that won't be the biggest concern for Aston Villa fans heading into the final stretch of the January window.

That's because Jacob Ramsey's name has also been mentioned among Aston Villa players who could be sold this month, as the seven-time English champions look to avoid any financial restrictions or punishments. It's claimed both Bayern Munich and Newcastle United hold genuine interest in the midfielder, who has been crucial to Unai Emery's side so far this season.

The good news for Aston Villa supporters is, the club are said to value Ramsey at a hefty £50 million, which is a valuation that will likely fend off any outside interest during the January window, given the lack of money available for clubs to spend.