Chelsea's New Manager Says Morgan Rogers is a Great Addition

New Chelsea manager, Xabi Alonso, said on Monday that Morgan Rogers is “a great signing” who will help the club become more competitive. He expects the England midfielder to “link really well” with Cole Palmer.

Rogers joined from Aston Villa last week for £117 million, which is about $157 million. This fee sets a record for a British player.

Alonso said he was “delighted” to bring the 23-year-old to Stamford Bridge. This comes just ahead of his first match in charge, a pre-season friendly against Western Sydney Wanderers on Tuesday.

“It’s a great signing. I think that in that position, we needed an important player, and I’m sure that there were not many more better options than Morgan,” the Spaniard told reporters. “So we are delighted. It means a lot for everyone.”

This move shows Chelsea's strong intentions after finishing 10th in the Premier League last season and missing out on European competition.

Alonso will need to figure out how to fit Rogers, Palmer, Pedro Neto, Estevao Willian, and another new signing, Geovany Quenda, into his attacking midfield.

“I have a plan. I have an idea. I can see them linking really well,” Alonso said about how Morgan might pair up with Palmer. The two are close friends and have similar playing styles.

“You need to have a good mix, good stability players, and players that can play with more freedom,” Alonso added. “And if we get that balance right, and we get those special players in the right positions, with good control, I think that we will be more competitive with the ball and against the ball.”

Chelsea has been after Rogers for two years and beat Arsenal to sign him after the Premier League champions decided not to pay the huge fee demanded by Villa.

Rogers' transfer broke the previous record for a British player, which was set by Manchester City when they bought England midfielder Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for £116 million earlier this month.

“I think that one of his best qualities is that he’s flexible,” Alonso said about Rogers. He is not traveling with the team to Australia after helping England finish third at the World Cup.

“I think that he can play in that pocket position, close to the striker, close to the turn, but he’s played as well on the right. But I think more coming from the left.

“We (will) play him where he feels he is enjoying his game, that he feels his flow. I’m sure that he will have good connections with the other players that he can have around him.

“So if we get those connections right, those little associations between them that they look for each other and they connect well, I think that it will be a great step forward in the quality of our game.”

Chelsea will also play fellow London club Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday in Sydney, before heading to Hong Kong for a match against Juventus on August 5.