After the resumption of the transfer window amidst the pandemic, it should be busy times for Manchester United with the club requiring to fill up several slots, including that of an attacking midfielder.
Now the Manchester Evening News is reporting that United have already made that decision regarding who they would prefer between James Maddison or Jack Grealish. Man United are tilting towards Grealish, largely owing to the £80m price tag on Maddison.
While the fans could be divided on the choice of Grealish, here at The 4th Official we take a closer look at both the player and try to come to a conclusion.
Jack Grealish Vs James Maddison: Who Should Manchester United Go For?
Jack Grealish- Nature and Style
The Aston Villa player has been a standout performer for his club, scoring the lion’s share of the goals, albeit from midfield. Manager Dean Smith has so far used two systems, a 4-2-3-1 with Grealish being in his natural number ten role and the 3-4-3 system where Grealish has been deployed on the left side, with the liberty to cut in on every opportunity. It is fair to say that Grealish has excelled in both the roles with the 24-year-old also providing crosses to his teammates and thus grabbing eight assists in the process.
Grealish has incredible retaining power, and he certainly knows how to bring his teammates into the fray, although not shying away from dribbling. When paired with the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Scott McTominay, Jack Grealish could be a lethal player and one that takes the club back to its glory days. His nine goals this season for Villa points to his brilliant productivity even with a relegation-threatened side.
James Maddison- Nature and Style
Maddison, unlike Grealish, has certainly not contributed to a similar percentage of goals for his club, but that can be due to a certain player named Jamie Vardy, who is right now the top scorer in the league. Much in the mould of Grealish, Maddison is also an attacking midfielder, who has no problem when deployed to the wings. The two main attributes of Maddison are his sense of positioning and his vision throughout the pitch with the youngster knowing exactly where to be when the ball arrives.
Where the 23-year-old could perhaps improve is his lack of contributions at the defensive end of the pitch, but that can be attributed to the fact that Grealish is a more aggressive player than Maddison. Thus Grealish boasts of a better work-rate.
Final word
While Maddison is also one of the most exciting prospects of English football at the moment, he would have the chance to play Champions League football with Leicester a bit more than at United. Apart from that, the hefty price tag Leicester have put upon Maddison to scare away any suitors has apparently done the job.
Grealish, on the other hand, had previously expressed an interest in plying his trade for the red end of Manchester. This, combined with the smaller fee for Grealish, whom Aston Villa could let go for a meagre fee if they get relegated, makes him the hotter prospect for Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s team.
