Morgan Rogers has been a phenomenal signing for Aston Villa since his move to the club, but he did not deliver the good against Nottingham Forest on Thursday night.
The England international ended the game with no goals from four shots on goal and only 0.02 xA created in a Europa League semi-final clash with their Premier League rivals.
It is hard to be too critical of the attacking midfielder, though, because he has been a revelation since his £16m move to the club from Middlesbrough in 2024.
Rogers never made the grade in the first-team at Manchester City and was sold to Boro, which then gave Villa the chance to snap him up from the Championship outfit.
To date, the 23-year-old star has plundered 29 goals and 26 assists in 120 appearances in all competitions for the Villans, and he will be hoping to add to that tally in the second leg against Forest.
Aston Villa eyeing bid to sign Manchester City star
The Villans have greatly benefitted from Manchester City’s decision to move on from Rogers, as he has emerged as a key star for Unai Emery and for England at international level in recent years.
Now, the club are looking to repeat that trick by moving for another player who has failed to establish themselves as a regular starter at The Etihad.
According to Football Insider, Aston Villa are ready to accelerate their interest in a deal to sign James Trafford from Manchester City in the upcoming summer transfer window.
The report claims that the club are planning for life after Emiliano Martinez, who could leave the club this summer, and have identified the England international as a possible replacement.
It adds that the Villans are prepared to press ahead and start bidding to sign the shot-stopper if they decide that they need to make a move for him in the upcoming window.
Football Insider reveals that Trafford, who is valued at £40m, is unhappy with his lack of regular game time at City, which has opened the door for Emery to pursue a deal for the 23-year-old titan.
How James Trafford would be a Morgan Rogers repeat for Aston Villa
The Cityzens goalkeeper could be a Rogers repeat for the Villans because he could follow in the attacker’s footsteps by going from failing to make the grade at City to being a star at Villa Park.
Trafford, who has been hailed as “unbelievable” by Pep Guardiola, has been unlucky at City because they signed Champions League winner Gianluigi Donnarumma to be their number one shortly after they signed the Englishman.
The 23-year-old talent has still showcased his ability between the sticks, though, as evidenced by his performances against Arsenal and Liverpool in the League Cup final and the quarter-final of the FA Cup either side of the March international break.
| James Trafford | Vs Arsenal | Vs Liverpool |
|---|---|---|
| xG faced | 0.74 | 1.71 |
| Saves made | 4 | 5 |
| xG prevented | 0.74 | 1.71 |
| Goals conceded | 0 | 0 |
| Pass accuracy | 61% | 86% |
| Ball recoveries | 5 | 9 |
Trafford stepped up to help City win both of those big matches, making a terrific triple save against the Gunners at Wembley and saving a penalty from Mohamed Salah in the forward’s last trip to The Etihad as a Liverpool player.
He would be a terrific signing to replace Martinez between the sticks in the summer transfer window, because he is another goalkeeper with sublime shot-stopping skills.
The Argentina international has prevented 4.25 xG with his saves in 29 appearances in the Premier League this season, although he has also made five errors that have led to shots or goals for the opposition.
Trafford has prevented 1.89 xG across three Premier League outings for Manchester City this season, and prevented a whopping 12.82 goals in 45 Championship matches for Burnley in the 2024/25 campaign before his return to City.
The England international, who is also ten years younger than Martinez, is an outstanding shot-stopper who has shown that he can deliver in big moments, such as against Arsenal and Liverpool recently.
This suggests that, like Rogers, Trafford could end up being a star for the Villans after failing to make it as a regular at City, because he is a terrific young goalkeeper who could be a brilliant signing this summer for £40m.
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Aston Villa have fallen to a narrow first leg defeat against Nottingham Forest in the Europa League semi-finals.