Aston Villa make transfer approach for Middlesbrough's Morgan ...

Aston Villa have made an approach to sign Middlesbrough forward Morgan Rogers.

Rogers, 21, has emerged as the primary transfer target for Villa boss Unai Emery in the January transfer window.

Rogers — who joined Championship side Middlesbrough six months ago — is understood to be excited by the opportunity of joining Villa, who currently sit third in the Premier League.

No agreement has been reached but both Rogers and Emery are keen for the transfer, with an offer made to Middlesbrough.

An attacker who has been deployed in multiple attacking positions by Middlesbrough head coach Michael Carrick this season, Rogers played the full 90 minutes in the Championship side’s FA Cup defeat at home to Villa earlier this month.

Villa are also set to complete the signing of teenage right-back Kosta Nedeljkovic from Red Star Belgrade, with the player set to undergo a medical on Friday.

Emery has prioritised Villa signing young players in this transfer window who the club can develop, with Rogers and Nedeljkovic fitting this profile.

Rogers began his career at West Brom but was signed by Manchester City in the summer of 2019.

The versatile forward spent loan spells at Lincoln City, Bournemouth and Blackpool before making a permanent switch to Middlesbrough last summer.

Rogers, who has primarily been deployed in an attacking midfield role by the Championship side this campaign, has represented England’s youth teams up to under-20 level.

Earlier this month, Villa boss Emery accepted that the club needed to sell players before buying due to Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.

“We have to accept the rules and accept that if we want to sign someone, one has to leave on our list in the squad,” Emery said.

“For financial fair play, we will need to accept the rules and how we are.

“They (the owners) want to invest more and more but accept the rules and accept financial fair play. We are trying to be intelligent in our transfer windows. We are trying to improve our squad with some players and if we can’t do it now, we can think of the next transfer window in the summer.”

Emery has also confirmed Calum Chambers and Bertrand Traore have been told they can leave Villa in January, with both players “knowing their situation.”

(Ben Whitley/PA Images via Getty Images)