Morgan Rogers' wages at Aston Villa compared to what he was earning at Middlesbrough | OneFootball

If estimates are to be believed, Morgan Rogers' wages have increased fifteen-fold since returning to the West Midlands.

Having played Championship football with Middlesbrough as recently as January 2024, Aston Villa manager Unai Emery's trust in Morgan Rogers has seen the 22-year-old gather Premier League, European and now, international acclaim.

Born in nearby Halesowen, his move to Villa Park represented a return to the West Midlands, where he began his career as a highly-touted West Brom wonderkid.

Although still young, Rogers has been hot on the radar of EFL fans since the turn of the decade, a reported £4 million move from West Brom to Manchester City made him the most expensive 16-year-old in English history.

And whilst it didn't work out in Manchester, the attacking midfielder enjoyed stints on loan with Lincoln City, Bournemouth and Blackpool before signing for Michael Carrick's Middlesbrough in 2023.

His Teesside adventure only lasted 209 days, as stand-out performances warranted a move to a Champions League-chasing Aston Villa side.

The move - a winter deadline day signing finalised on February 1 - was believed to be for an initial fee in the region of £8m, increasing to £15m if all add-ons are met in the deal, one of which includes an England appearance, which he received during the November international break..

Although Middlesbrough made an undisputed profit from the sale, his form and potential still represents a huge bargain for the Villans.

The former Man City under-21 put pen to paper on a lucrative contract extension earlier this week, but just how benficial financially has this move been for Rogers?

Morgan Rogers' estimated salary at Aston Villa

According to estimates from Capology, Villa's number 27 has received two substantial pay-rises in the most recent calendar year.

While his exact Manchester City wages are unknown, the permanent transfer to Middlesbrough seemingly represented a pay-cut, at least compared to his time at AFC Bournemouth.

However, his initial Villa contract, with an estimated worth of £20,000 per week, represented a perceived 400% increase on his compensation at the Riverside.

On November 19, clearly enjoying life at Villa Park, Rogers signed a lengthy contract extension, theoretically keeping him at the club until 2030.

The deal is believed to be worth an estimated £75,000 per week. While this means the former Lincoln man will have increased his income fifteen-fold in the space of nine months, he remains just the 17th highest earner in Unai Emery's side, perhaps unexpected for an ever-present starter.

Despite his teenage notoriety, Rogers' career has certainly had more road-blocks than some of his fellow England colleagues. Thankfully, his short time at Boro made it glaringly obvious that the forward did in-fact always possess top-flight talent.

In just 33 appearances, the then-21-year-old accumulated 16 goal involvements from an attacking midfield position, and this will be one of the reasons as to why Unai Emery was so keen to get a deal done.

While his Championship form was exceptional, it was Rogers' unrivaled performance in the Carabao Cup that caught the attention of all.

Goals against Bolton, Bradford, Exeter, Port Vale and Chelsea saw Rogers claim the tournament's golden boot in 2023/24. Combined with two assists, his contribution to the club's rare semi-final appearance cannot be understated.

Of course, seven months was not long enough to truly indoctrinate himself within the culture of the club, and while he could well have been an icon on Teeside, his legacy will be remembered as a fond fever-dream rather than warranting a statue outside the ground.

WIth Rogers' estimated current wages far exceeding double that of Middlesbrough's estimated highest current earner, Luke Ayling, it was always going to be unrealistic for him to stay, given the bid that came in and the potential he clearly possessed.

Carrick and co won't mind however, as with a substantial profit on what was believed to be an initial £1.5m deal from City, this was one of Boro's most lucrative coups in modern times.