According to a recent report by The Athletic (subscription required), Manchester United have made Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish their number one target for the summer transfer window. The same source has revealed that the Villans will be forced to sell their star midfielder, to stay within the restrictions of Financial Fair Play regulations, if they suffer relegation from the Premier League this season. However, if they manage to survive the drop, then Grealish’s transfer value could skyrocket to £80m at the very least (via The Atheltic).
Grealish’s Superb Form At Villa Park This Season
Despite Villa’s struggles in the English top-flight thus far, Grealish has been their one shining light due to his consistency going forward. He has performed at a high level and has often been deployed in the number ten role during this campaign. The Aston Villa youth product has carried this team on his back at times to get over the line in certain matches.
The English playmaker has featured in 28 matches for the West Midlands outfit this term, scoring nine goals while providing eight assists across all competitions. He has found a way to be productive in the final third and has some high-profile league goals against Manchester United and Leicester City to show for his efforts.
Grealish has averaged 1.1 tackles, 2.3 shots, 2.8 key passes and 2.4 dribbles per 90 minutes in the English first division this season (stats via whoscored). The stats prove that he has been Villa’s most potent threat in the opposition half as he has carried most of the goal-scoring and creative workload for his team. Hence, signing the 24-year-old will be a massive coup for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer if he can find a way to bring the Villa man to Old Trafford at the end of this campaign.
What Will The Birmingham-born Talent Add To Solsjaer’s Side?
Grealish is a quick and agile attacking midfielder who can also fill in as a winger if required. He enjoys the freedom of operating in the number ten position as he loves to make driving runs with the ball towards the heart of the opposition defence. The English midfield ace tends to be accurate with his attempts from long range and also has the vision to pick out a killer pass in the final third.
Will Grealish Be A Decent Choice For The Red Devils?
A player of Grealish’s skillset will undeniably add a lot of goals and assists to the Man United attack. Even though Solskjaer has recently signed Bruno Fernandes to fill in as the chief playmaker in his first-team, the Norwegian head coach could benefit from acquiring another attacking midfielder so that he has more options in attack.
The Red Devils need to be more flexible with their formation and tactics if they are to close the gap to Manchester City and Liverpool at the top of English football. Grealish’s addition will not only strengthen their attack but will also increase competition for places within Solskjaer’s squad. Therefore, he will be an excellent choice for the Mancunian giants to consider ahead of the new season.
