Aston Villa starlet Jacob Ramsey has emerged as a potential target for English champions Manchester City.
The Sky Blues broke the British transfer record in the summer by signing England international Jack Grealish from Aston Villa in a £100m deal. And it looks like the Mancunian club could raid Aston Villa again for one of their emerging talents.
According to Spanish news outlet Fichajes, Manchester City scouts have been impressed by the performances of Jacob Ramsey, with Pep Guardiola’s club keeping a close eye on the Aston Villa midfielder.
Jacob Ramsey, 20, has enjoyed a rapid rise to prominence since his promotion to Aston Villa’s first team from the academy last season, racking up 22 league appearances. He has made a bright start to the 2021/22 Premier League season, in what looks to be his breakthrough year, justifying a starting role in each of Aston Villa’s last four league games.
The talented young midfielder was recently a part of the Villans side that beat Manchester United 1-0 for the first time in 12 long years at Old Trafford.
Jacob Ramsey to Manchester City—A smart option for Pep Guardiola?
After the opening day defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City have not looked back and shown signs of their old self. The Cityzens sent a statement to the rest of the league by beating Chelsea 1-0 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday thanks to Gabriel Jesus’ second-half strike.
One of City’s players who has impressed since the start of the new campaign is Bernardo Silva. The Portuguese midfielder, who was linked with a summer exit, is back to his old self and influencing games in the final third for Guardiola’s side. Despite his improved performances, Guardiola has hinted Silva may push for a move away from the Etihad Stadium in the future.
Raheem Sterling is in a curious place at the moment having lost his place in the starting XI and is linked with a January move to Barcelona, while Fernandinho at 36 is in the final phase of his career. In addition, Kevin de Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan have become injury-prone in recent years.
Thus, it makes sense for Guardiola to start planning for the future at the Etihad Stadium and a move for Jacob Ramsey would be ideal. Ramsey has caught the eye with his dynamism, energy, work rate and versatility this season, with Dean Smith preferring the youngster in midfield ahead of summer signing Emi Buendia.
He is a good user of the ball, can spot a pass in the final third with his vision and technical skills and get into promising areas of the pitch to hurt the opposition. The 20-year-old Englishman has also shown great maturity defensively, which makes him an all-action midfielder.
Ramsey would be a smart fit at many top Premier League clubs as he is young, hungry, dynamic and is ready to make an impact now as well as in the long-term. All in all, the Villa starlet would be a fantastic signing for Manchester City, who seem to be preparing for the future without a few current stars under Pep Guardiola and beyond.