Arsenal have reportedly joined Manchester United in the race to sign Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish, who is valued at £80 million.
According to a report from Sky Sports, Arsenal have registered an interest in signing Aston Villa captain and midfielder Jack Grealish, who is also a top target for Manchester United.
A product of the Villa youth academy, Grealish has grown into one of the top talents in English football over the years. The 24-year-old was integral to their promotion to the Premier League last season and was, by far, their best player upon their return to the top-flight.
Aston Villa survived relegation by the slimmest of margins, finishing a point above 18th-placed Bournemouth. And even though Grealish’s form tailed off a little bit towards the end of the campaign, he finished with 10 goals and 8 assists from 41 appearances in all competitions.
Grealish’s performances have attracted serious interest from Manchester United. The Red Devils’ boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is keen on adding more creativity to his side and sees the Aston Villa captain as a key addition to the squad ahead of next season.
However, they will now have to face off competition from arch rivals in the race to sign the Englishman. The Gunners endured a difficult 2019/20 campaign, finishing eighth in the league. However, they still stand a chance of securing Europa League football for next season, should they beat Chelsea in the FA Cup final this weekend.
Given that Mesut Ozil could be on his way out and there being little creative presence in the side, Mikel Arteta could definitely use someone of Grealish’s quality in his roster.
However, Aston Villa’s £80 million valuation could be a major stumbling block in their pursuit of the midfielder. Arsenal are in a tight situation financially, owing to the coronavirus pandemic. And although, they could be in a slightly better position if they secure Europa League football, the valuation still could be beyond their reach.
Grealish still has three years on his current contract with Aston Villa. Having secured Premier League football for another season, there is no need for the Villans to sell their captain and talisman this summer. So, they will not budge from their current valuation, which has led Manchester United to consider backing out of the race.
Be it Arsenal or Manchester United, Grealish would elevate the quality of any side he joins this summer. However, with Villa standing firm on their transfer fee demand, he may very well end up staying put at the Midlands outfit.
