Ranking the ex-Man City academy players that Chelsea have signed after Rogers deal

Chelsea have completed the signing of Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa for a club record fee of £117m.

Rogers becomes Chelsea’s statement signing of the summer, and will join some familiar faces in West London.

Including Rogers, Chelsea now have six former Manchester City academy products in their current first-team squad, signed for a combined £302.5m.

We’ve ranked the impact of each of Chelsea’s Etihad alumni.

5. Liam Delap

Chelsea won a competitive race to sign Liam Delap last summer, activating the forward’s £30m release clause at relegated Ipswich. Delap has scored 12 league goals during a breakout season at Ipswich, following his arrival from Manchester City.

However, the 23-year-old struggled badly during his debut season at Chelsea. Delap scored only two goals in 41 appearances.

4. Jamie Gittens

Jamie Gittens followed the Jadon Sancho path in leaving Manchester City’s academy for first-team football at Borussia Dortmund. After impressing in Germany, Chelsea spent £55m to sign the winger last summer. The 21-year-old failed to make the desired impact, starting just five Premier League games.

3. Romeo Lavia

Injuries have prevented Romeo Lavia from making the desired impact at Chelsea, with a succession of issues plaguing the midfielder. The 22-year-old is a real talent, but has not been fit enough, often enough, to prove it.

2. Tosin Adarabioyo

Chelsea snapped up former Manchester City product Tosin Adarabioyo on a free transfer from Fulham in 2024.

At just 28, he’s a veteran of the dressing room and has made 70 appearances over two seasons. The centre-back has won the Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup with Chelsea.

1. Cole Palmer

The biggest hit by some distance.

Cole Palmer signed for Chelsea in 2023 after struggling for minutes at Manchester City, before exploding during his debut season. Palmer scored 25 goals in all competitions to win the PFA Fans’ Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Season.

The 23-year-old has not quite reached those heights since, despite some brilliant moments, and now has 54 goals in 131 games. He scored twice as Chelsea beat PSG to win the Club World Cup in 2025, and was also man of the match in that year’s Conference League final. Palmer has become one of the most recognisable brands in English football at Chelsea.

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