Unai Emery confirms contract talks as Aston Villa 'challenge' set

Unai Emery has confirmed Aston Villa are in contract talks with Morgan Rogers.

The 22-year-old has made rapid progress under Emery since joining Villa from Middlesbrough for an initial fee of £8m, rising to £15m with add-ons. Rogers has started all nine of the club's Premier League games so far this season and the three Champions League wins over BSC Young Boys, Bayern Munich and Bologna.

He penned a long-term deal at the start of the year when he joined Villa from Boro, but the club now wants to reward the forward by putting him on a deal which reflects his role in the team.

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"Yes, we want to extend his contract - already he’s progressing a lot," Emery said ahead of Villa's clash with Tottenham on Sunday. "But I want more from him. I think he can do more.

“But what’s most important is that we want to extend his contract. We want him to be here for a long time hopefully.

“I think a player like him, young, with the potential and the talent he has, for me to exploit it is another challenge for me here.”

Villa handed a new deal to John Duran last month, which sees him locked down until 2030. The striker has scored eight goals in 14 total appearances for the club this season.

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