Supporters will be gutted but Aston Villa deal still represents a win for Middlesbrough: View | OneFootball

Highlights

Middlesbrough are having an acceptable Championship season so far, but there is a sense that their top six push has yet to really properly kick-start.

After suffering play-off heartbreak at the hands of Coventry City in the semi-finals last season, Boro failed to win any of their first seven games in the Championship this campaign - they have since picked up though and now find themselves in a play-off race.

Boro are currently in 11th position, but are only three points off of the top six as they look for successive play-off finishes in the hopes of a return to the Premier League.

Nearing the end of the January window, Boro will want to try and keep hold of their best players so they can maintain their push for the play-offs, and one of those is Morgan Rogers.

Despite not always starting week in, week out, Rogers has been one of Boro’s best players this season after signing from Manchester City for around the £1.5 million mark in the summer.

So far this season, he has seven goals and eight assists in 33 competitive games, regularly playing as an attacking midfielder behind the striker and has excelled in this position, having played as a winger off the left for most of his career beforehand.

He has, in particular, starred in the EFL Cup, with Boro reaching the semi-finals before being knocked out by Chelsea. Rogers has five goals and two assists in six games in the competition.

Rogers’ performances have caught the attention of Premier League side Aston Villa, who have made repeated bids for the 21-year-old.

The Athletic, Boro have rejected a third bid from Villa in the region of £15 million, including add-ons.

Rogers is said to want the move though, with the pull of Premier League football important and it would also represent a return to his Midlands roots.

Boro appear to be standing firm and want more money, which of course is their prerogative, so it will be interesting to see if Villa match their valuation.

But if Villa have already made three bids, you can presume a fourth will come in sooner rather than later.

Rogers played the full 90 minutes against Villa earlier in January in the third round of the FA Cup, with Boro suffering a 1-0 defeat, and Unai Emery was already said to be a big fan before that and made the midfielder his top target for this month.

Middlesbrough will be winners in Rogers deal if Aston Villa strike agreement

If the deal goes ahead, Boro will certainly be on the better side of it - at least in the short-tern.

Rogers leaving would obviously be a big loss for Michael Carrick’s side, and with it being so late in the window, it is unlikely Middlesbrough would be able to get a direct replacement through the door that would have the same impact.

But financially, Boro will be getting at least ten times what they paid for him just six months ago - which would be brilliant business.

£15 to 20 million may not be a lot of money to a team like Villa in the Premier League, but for a Championship team like Boro, that money could sort them out financially in the short-term - and Boro could use the money right now.

As pointed out by football finance expert Kieran Maguire, Middlesbrough released their financial accounts for last season, where they made an operating loss (pre-player sales) of £29 million - which was up 40% from the season before.

However, they did make £23 million from player trading, which shows that Boro are willing to sell, and it could be said that selling their best players for large transfer fees is what is keeping them afloat.

Boro are also known for spending in the transfer market - and the Rogers money could be saved for a spend in the summer.

Boro spent £12 million last summer, and with fees paid for the likes of Rogers, Emmanuel Latte Lath, Seny Dieng and even Finn Azaz in this January window, you can imagine it will be a similar number paid this season too.

This transfer saga has been one of the stories of the Championship this January window, so it will be interesting to see whether Boro and Villa manage to agree a fee before the deadline.