Unai Emery has a secret weapon at Aston Villa who can take Morgan Rogers to the next level in 2024/25.
Morgan Rogers has taken no time to adapt to his new surroundings after switching from Middlesbrough to Aston Villa in the January transfer window.
Unai Emery shelled out £15 million to land the 21-year-old, and although he suffered an injury that kept him out of their final two games, Rogers has looked worth every penny.
The Englishman has flourished in the absence of academy graduate Jacob Ramsey, with Emery deploying him in behind Ollie Watkins.
Rogers also has the skillset and intelligence to float down the left and right flank, making him a nuisance to defend against with his powerful running style and upper body strength.
Since arriving from Boro in January, Rogers has scored three goals in the Premier League, including strikes against Brentford, Bournemouth and Chelsea.
His impact has been incredible but there is one secret weapon Emery can unleash to take the youngster to even greater heights.
Boubacar Kamara can make Morgan Rogers even better
Boubacar Kamara was one of Emery’s most influential players and in the 20 matches he played alongside Douglas Luiz, Villa claimed 13 victories.
Unfortunately, the Frenchman suffered a nasty long-term injury in February’s defeat against Manchester United, leaving Luiz without his partner and the Villans without their destructive midfield talent.
Kamara’s importance to Emery’s system is evinced by the 24-year-old ranking first in the Villa squad for tackles per game (2.2) and top for interceptions (1.1). These qualities have been missed during the final stretch of the season and once he returns in 2024/25, they can enable Rogers to perform even better.
Aston Villa have struggled defensively without Kamara’s protection, ending the campaign with 61 goals conceded, which is more than relegation battlers Everton.
It demonstrates that the former Marseille man is so crucial to winning possession between the lines and covering every blade of grass.
His presence improves those attacking players around him and Rogers, operating just ahead of him, would benefit from his 87% pass completion and workhorse-like approach.
Unai Emery needs to try a midfield trio of Luiz, Kamara and Rogers
We’ve already seen how impactful a duo of Luiz and Kamara is under Emery, but adding Rogers into the mix could be the recipe that reaps even greater rewards.
Since arriving at the club, Rogers has yet to play in the same starting XI as Kamara, so it’s a formula that is untested.
However, Luiz and Kamara as a double pivot and the former Middlesborough man playing just behind Watkins could work so well.
The Frenchman enables Luiz to break lines and get into goal-scoring positions while Rogers can play alongside the Brazilian as almost a second eight, giving Emery a potential potent midfield force.
It’s an exciting time to be a Villa supporter at the moment, and watching all of this talent only reinforces that notion.
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