In a recent Q&A segment with The Athletic, David Ornstein provided an update on Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish’s proposed move to Manchester United when he said,
“Some contacts tell me United are not in for Grealish and are focusing more on a holding midfielder than his kind of position. In a normal market, I think Villa would have been looking for around £40/50m if they got relegated, up to £90m if they stayed up. But it’s not a normal market now. He will be keen for a big move whether it’s this summer or very soon. Not sure if his lockdown misdemeanour will go down well to potential suitors or Gareth Southgate.”
Man United Drop Out Of The Race For Grealish: Massive Boost For Smith?
The Villans are facing an uncertain future as they are currently occupying one of the relegation spots in the Premier League table with football suspended as a result of the recent COVID-19 pandemic. If the Premier League decides not to conclude the season, then they will potentially face the possibility of being demoted to the Championship without getting a proper chance to save themselves in the final few gameweeks. If that were to happen, then they will likely lose Grealish this summer.
However, if Dean Smith can arrange a late rescue act if normal service resumes in the English top-flight, then this newest development of Man United dropping out of the race to sign Grealish will be a welcome boost for them and their chances of retaining the English playmaker’s services beyond this summer.
Sky Sports have now reported that Everton are also big admirers of Grealish. However, the West Midlands giants will still have a better shot of fending off interest from the Toffees and keeping him at Villa Park if they can avoid relegation at the end of this campaign. Despite his recent antics off the field, the 24-year-old has enjoyed the best season of his playing career so far after finding the back of the net on nine occasions and grabbing eight assists in 31 matches for his boyhood club this term across all competitions.
Grealish has established himself as the most productive English midfielder currently playing in the Premier League which is evident from his numbers this season. He has averaged 2.1 shots, 2.7 key passes and 2.2 dribbles per game in league football this season (stats via whoscored) which has enhanced his reputation in England and made him a must-see attraction at Villa Park.
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Grealish can use his mobility and football intelligence to make some darting runs with the ball towards the opposition penalty area. He has a low centre of gravity which helps him glide past the opposition defenders with ease and open up spaces for others around him. The Villa captain has shown a lot of desire to get on the ball and pull strings from midfield. He has the skillset and vision to create some decent goal-scoring opportunities going forward and also scores his fair share of goals for the Villans in the final third.
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The English playmaker hardly throws away possession as he is usually quite accurate with his ball-distribution as evidenced by his pass completion rate of 84.4% in the Premier League this season (stats via whoscored). Grealish is currently the most valuable asset at Smith’s disposal. Therefore, the 49-year-old manager would be wise to do all he can to keep him at the West Midlands for at least another season, especially if he can lead his players to avoid the drop in the coming months.
Losing the English midfield ace could see Aston Villa go on a free-fall, such has been his incredible impact at Villa Park over the past few years. Smith will struggle to find a suitable replacement for Grealish, and so it makes a lot of sense for the English head coach to fend off any potential suitors and keep him content at the club for the new season.
