Manchester City are looking to bolster their squad by signing Jack Grealish this summer. The Aston Villa talisman is one of the brightest players in the league. He has shown his creative prowess at Aston Villa who were having a terrific season up until his injury. Villa are currently sitting in the 10th position with 41 points and a game in hand and will be relieved to see Grealish return to the fold after the international break.
According to the Telegraph, Aston Villa will not be entertaining any bid less than £100 million for their captain. The billionaire owners of Aston Villa are aware of the high interest in Jack Grealish from multiple clubs. Also, they are not severely impacted financially due to Covid-19. Thus, the club is in a good position to keep the valuation of the player on the higher side. Pep Guardiola is a huge admirer of Jack Grealish. But if he wants Grealish to be a City player next season, Manchester City will have to smash their £65 million transfer record.
Should Manchester City go all-out for Jack Grealish?
The 25-year-old player can play on the left-wing or in the number 10 position. This is a quality that will sit well with Pep Guardiola as he normally prefers those players who are not restricted to just one position. In 22 Premier League games this season, Grealish has scored six goals and bagged 10 assists. He has been the most fouled player in the top-flight league which signifies how good he is in possession of the ball. He is a smart dribbler who always tries to create goal-scoring opportunities for his team and is extremely strong while holding off defenders.
Manchester City are a team teeming with creative midfielders and wingers. Phil Foden, Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez all have a great vision to pass the ball and impact proceedings in front of the goal. Adding Jack Grealish to that list will surely make their team even stronger.
But with the imminent departure of Sergio Aguero, Man City should first focus on finding a suitable replacement. Gabriel Jesus is the only natural striker present in the squad apart from the 32-year old Argentine. Any injury to him will force Pep Guardiola to deploy Raheem Sterling or Ferran Torres as a number nine and a team like City cannot rely on stop-gap measures for two seasons running. Thus, it is pivotal to add a lethal striker to the squad if they are to continue their strong form next season as well.
Erling Haaland and Romelu Lukaku have been strongly linked with Manchester City. But any of these strikers will cost a transfer fee in excess of £100 million. Due to decreased revenues in 2020-21, it is very hard to see City splashing around £200 million on just two players, even with FFP temporarily suspended.
A concerted effort to sign a top striker seems to be the need of the hour and any pursuit of a player like Jack Grealish can only be termed as a luxury right now.
Stats Courtesy: Whoscored
