How Chelsea star convinced me to snub Arsenal for Stamford Bridge — Morgan Rogers

The 23-year-old attacking midfielder completed his record-breaking transfer to Stamford Bridge from Aston Villa, turning down interest from North London rivals Arsenal after intense persuasion from close friend Cole Palmer.

The pair first developed their bond in youth setup football before becoming teammates at Manchester City’s academy.

Speaking during his unveiling as a Chelsea player, Rogers revealed how Palmer relentlessly hounded him via phone calls and messages to secure the reunion.

“I’ve known Cole since I was about 14, first in the England youth teams and then when we were both at Man City together.

"We’ve been speaking about this for a while; we always would love to have played together. So, for it to happen, we’re both excited,” Rogers said.

The former Villa star admitted Palmer’s sudden flurry of messages came as a complete surprise.“Cole Palmer has NEVER texted me that much in his life,” Rogers joked.

“He's not great on his phone! He's been great on his phone this week. He’s non-stop ringing my phone, texting me, and I can’t wait.

I think that’s probably the most special thing, playing with one of your best friends and being around him every day. It’s something I’m really excited about.”He added:

“It's really nice for me to know that it means so much to someone else for me to be here.”