Why Unai Emery may already have Morgan Rogers replacement as Aston Villa exit nears

Morgan Rogers was often the heartbeat of Unai Emery's Aston Villa side.

The 23-year-old had a unique influence at Villa Park, which allowed him to turn matches in their favour, seemingly without much effort.

One particular highlight is the 2-1 win over Manchester United in December, when he scored two stunning strikes.

Aston Villa News has regularly covered Rogers' spectacular rise to stardom with Villa.

However, their association is set to come to an end, leaving a gaping hope in the squad in B6.

As an £117million agreement has reportedly been reached with Chelsea, we look at how Emery's side can combat his exit.

Why Morgan Rogers is so unique for Aston Villa

Rogers notched 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions last season as his side won the UEFA Europa League.

In the domestic league, he notched 10 strikes and set up his teammates six times, per Fotmob.

One particularly impressive aspect of his game was how he could play from the left or centrally.

Per data from Sky Sports, he notched 0.17 goals per game from the left, and 0.34 in the number 10 role.

He also averaged more shots from central areas, with 2.45 compared to 2.24 from the flank.

The former West Brom academy ace created 1.29 chances off the left, with 1.24 coming when he was deployed in the middle

That shows there was a slight falloff in the numbers when he played behind Ollie Watkins, but his versatility still leaves Emery with a dilemma as there is a void in both positions.

Who could replace Rogers from the Villa squad?

The most obvious option within the current squad is Emi Buendia, who like Rogers, can play in both areas pretty comfortably.

The Argentine enjoyed a resurgence last season, with six goals and two assists in the league.

Ross Barkley is capable of playing in the attacking midfield role too, which would fee up the 29-year-old to operate on the wing.

New signing Johan Manzambi and John McGinn are also options to take up a central role.

They are not the most promising options, though, especially with Champions League football and increased expectations on the cards next season.

They may have to reinvest the money that they get from the England star's sale, into some better quality replacements.