Chelsea's reported £117m swoop for Aston Villa forward Morgan Rogers has left Paul Merson baffled, with the Sky Sports pundit questioning why the Blues would splash such extraordinary money on a player he insists they simply don't need.
Writing in his latest column for Sky Sports, Merson pointed out that Chelsea already boast Cole Palmer, arguably the closest thing English football has to Rogers' profile, making the reported fee even harder to justify. For Merson, the sheer scale of the outlay is the real sticking point rather than any doubt over Rogers' ability.
It's worth stressing this remains a reported deal rather than confirmed business, but if Chelsea do follow through at anywhere near that valuation, it would rank among the most eye-catching moves of the summer window. Merson's verdict is blunt: crazy money for a luxury Chelsea arguably didn't require, given the riches already at Enzo Maresca's disposal in similar areas of the pitch. Whether the Blues share that view will become clear if the move progresses further.