Crystal Palace are plotting a summer move for Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish, it has been claimed.
According to Daily Mail, the Eagles have identified Jack Grealish as the ideal replacement for Wilfried Zaha, who has clearly stated his desire to play at a higher level in the future.
It is believed that Palace are willing to sell Zaha for a fee in the region of £80 million, which could help them fund the move for the Aston Villa star in the upcoming summer transfer window.
Jack Grealish: An ideal target for Crystal Palace
It is probably fair to note that Crystal Palace have struggled in their attacking department this season. The Eagles have appeared overly reliant on the services of Zaha in terms of attacking productivity from open play while Andros Townsend and holding midfielder Luka Milivojevic have been the club’s top playmakers thus far.
Max Meyer, despite being a bonafide playmaker has struggled to make himself a first-team regular under Roy Hodgson and with Palace devoid of any other reliable alternatives in the creative department, the addition of someone like Grealish could make a world of sense.
The Aston Villa midfielder has been one of the top performers in the Championship, having played a key role in his club’s bid to regain promotion this season. The 23-year-old has mostly featured as an attacking midfielder but he can be also utilized in a deeper role, where his remarkable passing allows him to rotate possession and dictate the tempo of the game.
However, Grealish is most effective in the number ten role, where he can use his supreme control on the ball not only to bring others into play but also create chances in the final third, which could be imperative for a Palace side who face a tough ask to keep Zaha beyond this summer.
Another asset that makes Grealish such an appealing target for the Eagles is his versatility. As iterated earlier, the Aston Villa star can be deployed as the deep-lying playmaker. But, he can also feature in the wide-attacking role, which could be beneficial for Palace, especially considering their lack of resources in the offensive department.
In addition, Grealish has been really effective not only in creating chances but also converting them when afforded the opportunity, having scored six goals in the Championship this season.
Therefore, the 23-year-old can help Palace become more productive in the final third while his ability to create chances would certainly benefit the likes of Christian Benteke, thus making him an ideal target for the Eagles.
