Hutton: Rogers and Palmer as Best Mates Is a Scary Thought For the Premier League

Morgan Rogers | Xabi Alonso | Manchester United | Bruno Guimaraes | Premier League

Speaking exclusively with BOYLE Sports , former Aston Villa favourite Alan Hutton has assessed the big spending at Chelsea and the shape of the Premier League title race.

The former Scotland international has explained how Morgan Rogers can justify his £117m fee, why the Cole Palmer connection could terrify the league, and whether Xabi Alonso can turn Chelsea into title contenders.

Hutton has also backed Oliver Glasner to stabilise Nottingham Forest , assessed Bruno Guimaraes ' move to Arsenal , and given his verdict on the title race and Manchester United under Michael Carrick .

Morgan Rogers

Will Rogers Need a Fernandes-Style Season to Justify £117m?

How can Morgan Rogers justify his transfer fee to Chelsea ? By being a consistent player at the highest levels, week in, week out. He needs to be a guy his teammates can rely on. Of course, you're always going to be judged on your goals and assists as a forward player, and I think those numbers have to be at a level where everybody can see that he's one of Chelsea 's main guys this season, and I think he's got the talent to do that.

I think he'll be given the opportunity to go and shine there, and he's never been fazed by stepping up in his career so far. You think about how he made the move from Middlesbrough to Aston Villa . At the time I was thinking I'm not too sure what to think about him; we'll have to wait and see what happens. He might be in and out of the team, but no, bang! He just took off, and he's a full England international now. I don't think anything will worry him at Chelsea , and I don't think he'll be worrying about the price tag. You know he'll be playing alongside his best friend now, Cole Palmer , and they'll instantly have that connection. It's a scary thought for the rest of the Premier League if they can hit it off this season in Chelsea shirts.

Have Chelsea Spent £117m to Keep Palmer Happy?

The money that's kicking about nowadays for transfer fees is quite incredible, and for Chelsea to spend that much on Morgan Rogers after the season they've had is just unbelievable. That's why I feel for the likes of Aston Villa at the moment because they are having to sell their most talented players to level the books while the big six can go and spend hundreds of millions on a player and keep going. It's not really fair on the other teams who want to push on and get to that level.

Can Alonso Make Chelsea Title Contenders?

Xabi Alonso has a lot of individual talent to work with at Chelsea , but now it's about bringing them together as a collective. He did that at Bayer Leverkusen , and they were an outstanding team, especially with the run they went on, remaining unbeaten for the season in the Bundesliga . His teams play a particular brand of football, but the thing is, he has to get all those individuals at Chelsea to buy into his ideas. If anyone can do that though, it's Xabi Alonso because he's got that aura about him. He's the kind of guy, just like Steven Gerrard was when he went up to Rangers , who walks into a room, and everybody sits up and takes notice.

They watch him on the training ground. He's still pinging balls left, right and centre. The Chelsea players must be looking at each other and thinking, my god, what a player, and he's our manager! That'll make them listen to him, and he's definitely got the players in that squad to do something special, but it's also a very bloated squad. He'll need to get rid of a few more players too, but the components are there to build a team that can make a run for the title this season.

Nottingham Forest

Can Forest Challenge For Europe Under Glasner?

What Nottingham Forest need now is stability. This rinse-and-repeat approach with managers and the constant turnover in personnel created such a circus. Now they need a period of quiet to just get on with the job, and Oliver Glasner is a top manager and the right man to do that. You look at what he did at Crystal Palace , and it was absolutely tremendous, so I'm looking for him to go into Forest and stabilise the club, and not in terms of their finishing position in the Premier League , but everything inside the club that's going on.

He has to settle it all down because they've got a good squad, and Ousmane Diomande fits the style of what Glasner wants. You can see how he fits into his system playing three at the back with Nikola Milenkovic , Murillo and Diomande . That's a strong back line, and those are the foundations you need to build upon because they've already got the quality going forward. If Glasner can calm everything down, Forest can have a good season.

Will Forest Keep Morgan Gibbs-White?

I'd love to see Morgan Gibbs-White at Aston Villa . I think he's a cracking player, and Nottingham Forest have done everything; Evangelos Marinakis has done absolutely everything to hold on to him. He'll be on a decent contract to make him stay after Tottenham Hotspur came in for him last year. He's a leader within that Forest dressing room, and when I watch them, they're always looking to Gibbs-White to go and make something happen. Can you win us the game? I can understand them trying everything to hold on to him. Every club needs to keep players like that.

However, every player has their price, and if someone is willing to match his valuation, I do believe that Gibbs-White would like to take that step, but I can't answer for him. I just feel like he's got that quality to go and play for a top four, top five team. I'm sure he'd want to test himself at that level.

Arsenal & United

Will Guimaraes Have as Big an Impact as Rice at Arsenal?

I don't think Bruno Guimaraes is leaving Newcastle United to become a squad player at Arsenal . I think he'll play. They've spent a lot of money on him. We knew Bruno Guimaraes was going to leave Newcastle at some point, and I think a move to Arsenal is the right step for him. Playing and surrounding himself with top players, and I'm not saying there weren't top players at Newcastle , but playing for the champions, we're going to see him raise his game to another level playing for Arsenal .

I think he'll get even better, and he's still got room to grow as a player. I think he makes Arsenal stronger as a team and as a squad. But listen, I feel for Newcastle and their fans. They've been picked apart. All their best players have left.

Can This Be the Year Jacob Ramsey Makes His Mark?

I never wanted to see Jacob Ramsey leave Aston Villa . I thought he was doing really well at that time, but it was a case of balancing the books. You never want to sell one of your best young players coming through the youth ranks. It's just the thing that happens at this moment in time, but even so, he found it hard to break into the first team. You look at Newcastle United under Eddie Howe , and they were this big, powerful, very physical team who hit you in the face.

Jacob has always been a more technical player, making runs and playing one-twos, so with all these big players leaving Newcastle , especially Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes , you get the sense that Jacob Ramsey 's opportunity is now. He needs to grab this chance with both hands because if you don't, you can slip down the pecking order, so it's a big opportunity for him this season under a new manager.

The Title Race

Who Wins the Premier League?

I think Arsenal could go and do it again. They've got a settled side, but they've added to it, so I believe it'll be Arsenal on top and then Manchester City or Manchester United . Liverpool will be better this season too, and Chelsea , but I think Aston Villa could find themselves just outside of that top five. They'll be fighting Tottenham Hotspur to finish sixth or seventh, but I'm probably miles off with my prediction and how this season will actually unfold.

Will United Be the Real Deal Under Carrick?

Michael Carrick has definitely lifted spirits around the camp, and the Manchester United fan base as well. They all seem a lot happier, a lot more hopeful, and it seems to be going in the right direction. What's important is that they give him time, but he's almost one of their own, isn't he? And to be fair to Carrick , he has done so well so far, so he has to be given that chance.

Signing Youri Tielemans was a brilliant move. I've watched him for many years now, and the quality that he has is overlooked. I watched United in their friendly against Paris Saint-Germain this summer, and seeing Tielemans playing into Bruno Fernandes , they were just in sync, instantly. I think that could be a really good connection for United this season, moving them up the field and creating chances, but they'll still need a few more players. If they want to challenge and step up from finishing third last season without European football, they need to give Carrick even more quality to work with, but it's going to be interesting for them. The expectations will be huge this season.

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