In a recent interview with Football Insider, former Southampton forward Kevin Phillips tipped Liverpool to acquire the services of Jack Grealish if Aston Villa ends up being relegated from the Premier League this season. When asked about whether the Reds are keeping tabs on any players who are in risk of being demoted to the Championship, Phillips replied (via Football Insider), “Liverpool are at a point where they can splash out on the world’s best.
“Those world’s best players want to come and play for Liverpool and Klopp. He plays a certain style and he will not buy someone unless it plays his system.
“The obvious one is Jack Grealish. If Villa go down, I am certain he will move on. Could he play for Liverpool? He is the only one out of the bottom three or four teams that could fit in that team.
“They will certainly be targeting players from top abroad teams and around the world.”
Grealish’s Incredible Rise At His Boyhood Club
Grealish has enjoyed the most productive year of his playing career after he put in several match-winning performances for the Villans in the Premier League this season. He has registered nine goals and eight assists in 31 matches for the West Midlands outfit this term in all competitions which sheds some light on his growing influence in Dean Smith’s first-team.
The Villa skipper has averaged 2.1 shots, 2.7 key passes and 2.2 dribbles per 90 minutes in the English top-flight (stats via whoscored). The numbers prove how much he has improved as a midfielder since making his debut at Villa Park back in 2014.
The 24-year-old is yet to earn his first senior cap for the English national side but could be in line to start for the Three Lions in the upcoming UEFA European Championship (which has now been postponed to 2021) especially if he can finish off this campaign on a high.
Grealish’s incredible contributions have not been enough to keep the Villans in the safe zone as they are currently languishing in the 19th spot of the league table. With the Premier League campaign postponed until April 4 due to the coronavirus pandemic, things are quite uncertain at Villa Park at the moment. The English playmaker will be his team’s best hope of pulling off a late rescue act if the season resumes later this year.
What Does The English Midfield Ace Bring To The Table?
Grealish is a quick and agile midfielder who loves to make driving runs with the ball in the opposition half. The Birmingham-born talent has terrific balance and shows excellent control when in possession of the ball, which explains why he is such a dangerous dribbler. He also doesn’t mind covering a lot of ground for the benefit of his side.
The England Under-21 international is quite accurate with his ball-distribution after completing 84.4% of his attempted passes in the Premier League this season (stats via whoscored). He has the makings of a top player so Liverpool can significantly benefit from adding him to their squad.
Should The Reds Break The Bank To Land Grealish This Summer?
Grealish will not only add more goals and assists to Jurgen Klopp’s midfield but also provide more flexibility in terms of what he can offer going forward. His presence will allow the German head coach to tweak his much-preferred 4-3-3 formation and adopt a more fluid 4-2-3-1 set-up next season with Grealish operating in the number ten position.
Otherwise, Klopp can also use him on the flanks as he is versatile enough to do so. All in all, it makes a lot of sense for the Merseyside giants to break the bank to bring the Villa captain to Anfield in the off-season.
