Milan special advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic has expressed concerns over the inflated transfer fees in football, particularly in light of news that Chelsea agreed to pay Aston Villa £117m for forward Morgan Rogers. “Not every player with one good season is worth £100m,” he stated.

Hours before stepping onto the pitch for England in the World Cup third place play-off against France, reports emerged that Chelsea had secured a significant fee for Rogers. The 24-year-old forward netted 14 goals and provided 12 assists in 55 competitive matches for Aston Villa last season, but Ibrahimovic did not find his performance convincing enough to justify the high price tag.

Milan’s Ibrahimovic shocked by Rogers fee

MILAN, ITALY – JUNE 04: Rafael Leao of AC Milan celebrates with teammate Zlatan Ibrahimovic after scoring their sides second goal during the Serie A match between AC Milan and Hellas Verona at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on June 04, 2023 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

“They need to stop this immediately; not every player is worth £100m. It’s getting out of hand, to be honest,” said Ibrahimovic, who is also serving as a television pundit for Fox Sports during the World Cup.

“Not every player with one good season is worth £100m. I wonder how much Lamine Yamal, Vinicius and Michael Olise will be worth if Rogers is £117m.”

KITZBUEHEL, AUSTRIA – JANUARY 25: Zlatan Ibrahimovic, former AC Milan player, looks on as he attends the Men’s Downhill of the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup on January 25, 2025 in Kitzbuehel, Austria. (Photo by Christian Bruna/Getty Images)

The financial disparity between Premier League clubs and their international competitors is becoming increasingly pronounced, driven by lucrative television rights agreements.

Inter Milan recently lost out to Chelsea in a bidding war for Atalanta wing-back Marco Palestra.

Concerns raised by Ibrahimovic highlight the rapidly changing baseline for player transfers, which could pose risks to the financial sustainability of clubs.

Tottenham Hotspur, who narrowly escaped relegation last season, spent £100m on Italian international Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United.