Aston Villa pulled off a masterstroke when they bought Morgan Rogers from Middlesbrough and turned him into an England international. Now, as they prepare for Champions League and Premier League campaigns, the club is looking to add depth and quality to their squad in the transfer window.
It is well known they need support and competition for Matty Cash at right back, athleticism in wide positions, and reliable goal contributions from midfield. Several players will inevitably be linked with moves away, not least Morgan Rogers, who remains a regular subject of speculation. The attacker is the poster boy of Villa's recent recruitment, having joined for an initial £8 million and now reportedly worth at least ten times that figure.
Villa found Rogers playing in the Championship with Middlesbrough, and with UEFA's financial regulations looming, there could be no better time to repeat that deal. Here are five options.
Tristan Crama (Millwall)
The 24-year-old played right back quite a bit last season, and while he might struggle against some Premier League wingers, he is also a very promising centre back. He made 25 starts in each position. Brentford brought him over from France, and he excelled on loan with Exeter in League One, to the extent that it was slightly surprising when the Bees sold him to Millwall.
At 6ft 4ins, with good positioning and decent technical ability, Crama has all the physical attributes to be a top-flight central defender with an ability to play full back. He is also a winner in both boxes, a vital quality. There has been talk of Everton being keen for a price of £15 million after he was named in the Championship Team of the Year and made 50 appearances as the Lions reached the play-offs.
Leo Scienza (Southampton)
It is probably odd to describe a 27-year-old as a rising star, but the left-winger, who can also play through the middle, has taken a very scenic route to the Championship. Southampton signed him last summer after he spent time in lower league football in Sweden and Germany. He has been a sensation.
The Brazilian is unplayable on his day: fast, direct, and productive. Ten goals and ten assists in 47 games suggest he is ready for the next step, though he still has three years left on his contract at St Mary's. It has been reported that Paris FC tried to pay €10 million for him last summer; he has enhanced his value since then with his ball-carrying, pace, and finishing.
Femi Azeez (Millwall)
The Lions winger is the trendy name around the Championship at the moment, and for good reason. He is the crown jewel in an otherwise powerful and physical Millwall team. Azeez joined from Reading a couple of seasons ago and scored 11 times with eight assists in 37 games last term.
He plays predominantly as a right winger and has already caught the eye of clubs like Crystal Palace, Sunderland, and Brentford. He is a Premier League standard athlete, a glider rather than a powerpack, and has shown a very good quality level. He will play in the top flight at some point. His goal against Birmingham, a laser from the corner of the area into the top of the net, and his assist against Hull, swept in from the right away from the goalkeeper and right into Mihailo Ivanovic's feet, are testament to his ability.
Hayden Hackney (Middlesbrough)
The central midfielder was Boro's driving force and rightly named Championship Player of the Year after an outstanding campaign that saw Boro make it all the way to the play-off final. Indeed, they might have reached the Premier League automatically had the 23-year-old not picked up a knock which robbed him of the final months of the campaign.
Hackney, who has been linked with Villa and a host of other top-flight clubs, can play anywhere through the middle but is ultra-dangerous around the opposition penalty area. There is a rare quality to his finishing, and Boro really missed his goals. He ended up with six goals and eight assists from 41 appearances. He could be available for a cut-price with only 12 months left on his contract. Crystal Palace and Tottenham have been credited with an interest, as have Michael Carrick's Manchester United.
Jordan James (Rennes)
This would be a conversation starter, given that James came through the system at Birmingham City before moving to Ligue 1 for around £5 million in 2024. He had a tough first campaign in France but continued to progress on the international scene with Wales. Amid the chaos at Leicester City last season, he had an outstanding loan spell that saw him crowned as the Championship's Young Player of the Year.
The Foxes might have evaded relegation to League One had the 21-year-old not lost a couple of months to injury; he was that influential. James, who can play as a No. 6 or No. 8, is a clinical finisher and bagged ten goals from midfield. He is also a strong ball carrier, mobile, and powerful, and it is mouth-watering to think how Unai Emery could improve him in the way he has Rogers.
