Chelsea sniffing around Morgan Rogers is exactly the kind of transfer gossip that makes a Monday feel slightly more bearable. Rogers has been one of the genuinely exciting stories of the season at Villa, a player who looks like he actually wants the ball and knows what to do with it when he gets it. Of course Chelsea want him. Of course they do. They collect exciting young English talent the way most people collect loyalty cards they never use.
The thing is, Villa should be doing absolutely everything to keep him. Unai Emery has built something real at that club and Rogers is a big part of why it feels exciting to watch them. Letting Chelsea hoover him up would be like Rocky finally getting in shape and then handing his running shoes to someone else. You did the hard work. Keep the results.
Then there is the Marcus Rashford situation which is genuinely fascinating. Barcelona are apparently keeping tabs on Villa's interest in the Manchester United loanee. So Rashford is on loan, Villa want to make something happen, and Barcelona are lurking in the background watching it all unfold. The lad has gone from being one of the most talked about players in England to being the subject of a three way transfer soap opera involving a loan spell in the Spanish sun. Whatever you think of how his United career ended, you cannot say his life is boring right now.
Rodri being coy about his future at City is the one that should worry their fans most quietly. He is the kind of player you only truly appreciate when he is not there, which City supporters already found out the hard way this season. Lose him permanently and they lose the engine room of everything Pep has built. Simple as that.
Overall it is a Monday gossip column that actually has some meat on the bones for once. Chelsea doing Chelsea things, Villa trying to build something serious, and Rodri possibly waving goodbye to the Etihad at some point. Plenty to chew on.
Let me know your thoughts.