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Morgan Rogers has said Chelsea captain Reece James is the player who has surprised him most with his ability. The pair have been able to work closely together in recent international breaks, whilst coincidentally the Aston Villa star has been heavily linked with a transfer to Stamford Bridge.
The latest winner of the PFA young player of the year award, Rogers has made great strides to becoming a key starter under Unai Emery at Villa Park since his £15m transfer from Middlesbrough in January 2024.
Chelsea are one of several clubs to have been linked with Rogers as a result of his improving performances.
The latest report from The Sun would suggest whilst the attacking midfielder does not possess a release clause, his club might be forced into a sale due to the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) concerns as a result of failing to qualify for this season's Champions League.
For now, the transfer window is closed again so the Blues or any of their rivals are unable to act on their reported interest.
In the meantime, Rogers is continuing with Villa, and has spoken to Sky Sports ahead of their upcoming fixture against Sunderland.
Having been included in Thomas Tuchel's England squad for the fourth successive international break this month, he was asked which player made a surprising impression on him.
"I've said this before and I'm gonna say it again - Reece James was the one for me," the 23-year-old replied. "Not that I knew he wasn't good, because he's won the Champions League, and he'd been in Chelsea's team for ages.
"You don't quite realise when you go and train how he's got absolutely everything in his game.
"I know he's been unfortunate with injuries and had a tough time but the fact you can see him fit and see how good he is, it's honestly scary."
James has made appearances in every single Chelsea fixture so far this season, including two starts. He has also started twice in both of the Three Lions' latest fixtures, providing an assist against Andorra.
Last season the 25-year-old made just 18 starts for his club because of injury troubles that have plagued him for numerous years now. According to Transfermarkt, James has missed 145 matches in the past six seasons due to 21 different injuries.
Rogers believes: "If he can get that run of games, he can show the world how good he is because he's got a special, unique talent. From a full-back I don't think we've quite seen that before.
"He's a really special player."
And who knows, one day they could end up teammates at club level as well as on the international stage.
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