Aston Villa star exceeding expectations under Unai Emery

In an article by The Athletic, Jacob Tanswell has picked Morgan Rogers as the Aston Villa player that has most succeeded expectations. In the article: 'Which signing went on to exceed expectations at each Premier League club?' Tanswell has selected the young forward signed in January as the choice for Aston Villa. Others on the list include the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Ian Wright, Tim Cahill, and Jamie Vardy.

Rogers' electric start to his Villa career

When he was signed by Unai Emery in January for a fee of £8 million, rising to approximately £13 million with add-ons, many raised their eyebrows. His record in professional football is certainly not terrible by any stretch, but he 'had not pulled up trees' in the words of Tanswell.

His form during the seven months with Middlesbrough had suggested that there was a potentially talented player there, but not one that would have been tipped to be on the cusp of an England call-up. The second half of the 2023/24 season was supposed to be a time when Rogers would begin to settle into life at a Premier League club and make a few appearances off the bench, to get a taste of the game at the top level in English football. Instead, as a result of injuries in the team, he had to learn quickly and on the job as he was thrown in to be a regular starter almost from the get-go.

This season has seen Rogers become one of the Premier League's most exciting young talents. Playing in the No.10 role, he has transformed from a winger with good ability to a ball-carrying monster that has opposition midfield and defensive players in tangles. He has a goal and two assists to his name so far this season, but his performances have been instrumental in Villa having goalscoring opportunities.

Who else could have been a contender?

In terms of player-for-money value, Villa captain John McGinn must be a contender for exceeding expectations. Although signed during Villa's spell in the Championship, for £2.5 million, he has since gone on to be one of the Premier League's most consistent midfield players and has been a huge part in taking the club from the Championship to the Champions League.

Lucas Digne, although expensive when he signed, has flourished under Unai Emery beyond a level that most Villa fans thought he were capable of. Most will agree that the £25 million and 100k a week wages paid by Gerrard to sign the French full-back, typical in his time at the club, was too much. He also didn't show justification for that fee in his first year and a half at the club, with Alex Moreno bumping him out of the team for large spells. However, Moreno suffered an injury and most were worried about Digne coming into the team. Worry not, Moreno couldn't regain his place in the side and subsequently left the club due to Digne's fantastic performances and he again was a big part of the push for Champions League qualification.

We, of course, cannot forget about Emiliano Martinez. After spending nearly ten years at Arsenal and only making 38 appearances across all competitions for the club in that time, he was let go as Mikel Arteta fancied Bernd Leno instead. I think if you ask Arteta if he regrets his decision to let Martinez go, he would probably say yes. Signing for Villa for £17 million, a minimal fee in today's market, he has since gone on to prove himself as one of the, not just the Premier League's, but the world's best goalkeepers. In his time with Villa so far, he has made 168 appearances and kept 57 clean sheets. For his country, he won this small trophy called the FIFA World Cup(?) and the Yashin Trophy. That trophy is awarded to the world's best goalkeeper, by the way. Just remember Villans, Arsenal were happy to sell him as he was only a backup to the 'world-class' Bernd Leno. Who now plays for Fulham.

UTV