MIDDLESBROUGH have rejected a bid from Aston Villa for Morgan Rogers.

It's not known how how much Villa's offer for the attacker was but sources have told the Northern Echo that the bid was "rejected out of hand".

It's now a question of whether the high-flying Premier League side will return with an improved bid, with reports coming out of Villa Park tonight suggesting Rogers has emerged as the top January target for Unai Emery.

Rogers only joined Boro from Manchester City in the summer but the 21-year-old has impressed and is quickly improving for Michael Carrick's side.

He's featured in 25 of Boro's 27 Championship games so far this season and is the joint top scorer in the Carabao Cup with four goals. He played all 90 minutes of Boro's recent FA Cup tie against Aston Villa.

READ MORE:

Boro and Villa have already done business this month, with Finn Azaz swapping Villa Park for the Riverside. Boro are well stocked in attacking midfield but Rogers is a vital figure for Carrick's side and Boro don't want to lose him.

Earlier this month, Emery accepted Villa would have to sell to buy in order to ensure they comply with financial fair play regulations.

He said: “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.

“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.”