Chris Sutton told BBC Radio 5 Live Sport that Jack Grealish only signed a new contract because other clubs didn’t want him this summer, as he also questioned the Aston Villa player’s ‘ambition’.
Former Villa defender, Richards, hit back at Sutton by telling him to ‘behave yourself” after he also claimed that it’s ‘highly unlikely’ that he will win a trophy in B6.
The news of Grealish penning a new deal came out of the blue, but regardless of whether it was a surprise or not, Villa fans are thrilled their captain will remain at the club for the long-term.
But former Premier League winner, Sutton, wasn’t having any of it because he thinks he would have left had an offer come in for his services.
“I think it’s a brilliant piece of business for Aston Villa,” Sutton told BBC Radio 5 Live. “The fact that he signed does it not mean the big clubs don’t want him? They don’t him. He’s like ‘okay, you don’t want me then I will sign a new contract’.
“Is he going to win anything at Aston Villa? And that seems highly unlikely.”
Richards responded: “Chris, Chris, behave yourself, please.” The former striker then added: “If he had any ambitions as a footballer, you would move to a club where there is a real chance of winning trophies. That’s a fact.
Richards added: “Yes, that’s a fact, but there are so many complexities than that. Come on! If Aston Villa don’t want to sell. He’s their golden child. I think Villa just prized him out of the market.
Sutton responded: “They’ve not prized him out of the market. They have given him a shed load more money that suits Jack Grealish because nobody wanted him.”
Grealish has the qualities to play in Europe, but can Villa reach those heights during these coming years?
One way they can reach those European places is by showing their ambitions in the transfer market, and they have been doing that so far.
They have purchased Matty Cash from Nottingham Forest, goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez from Arsenal, including breaking their club-record transfer by signing Ollie Watkins.
Now it’s a case of doing the job on the field of play.
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