Manchester City have reportedly joined Manchester United in the race to sign Jack Grealish, who is valued at £80 million by Aston Villa.
According to a report by Daily Telegraph, Jack Grealish is the subject of interest from Manchester City. The Citizens, though, will make a move for the English playmaker, who is also a target for rivals Manchester United and has an £80 million price tag, if Bayern Munich meet their valuation for Leroy Sane.
Grealish has become a hot property in the transfer market after establishing himself as the single most important player for Aston Villa over the last few seasons. This term, the 24-year-old has led the way once again, almost winning games singlehandedly at times.
A top class campaign has seen him produce a tally of 9 goals and 8 assists in 35 appearances across all competitions this term while also being made the Aston Villa captain. His exploits have been duly noted by some of the biggest clubs in England, with Manchester United linked with him on a consistent basis. Now, Manchester City are pondering a move as well.
Manchester City’s interest in Grealish does make sense, with David Silva in his final season at the club.While Phil Foden has stepped up remarkably this season, the fact that Bernardo Silva could be utilised much more in attack when Leroy Sane moves means that Pep Guardiola does need to fill up one spot in midfield.
Grealish is, therefore, a viable target for Manchester City, with the playmaker’s ability to play on the left wing also potentially making him a replacement for Sane. Manchester United, on the other hand, need Grealish to bolster Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad options.
Currently, the Manchester United manager has a solid midfield unit, especially with Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes forging a fine partnership in the middle of the park. However, beyond the duo, there is very little quality to feature in the more advanced role, with Jesse Lingard and Andreas Pereira not really inspiring much confidence.
As a result, Solskjaer needs a player of Grealish’s ilk to continue his transformation of his squad and help Manchester United take another step to return to English football’s summit. As far as Manchester City are concerned, the outgoing Premier League champions will only make a move for Grealish if Bayern Munich meet their valuation of Sane.
So far, the German heavyweights have only been willing to shell out £35 million for Sane. However, City want £50 million for the young winger. And with Aston Villa slapping a price tag worth £80 million on Grealish, the funds from Sane’s sale could be crucial, if the Citizens are to challenge Manchester United for him.
The £80 million figure has been mentioned in previous reports as well and it remains to be seen if Villa lower their asking price if they end up getting relegated. For now, though, it looks like Manchester City could be in the hunt for Jack Grealish, with Manchester United now facing stiff competition in pursuit of the 24-year-old playmaker.
