Fabrizio Romano has said on The Arsenal Lounge that it is going to be tough for Arsenal if they want to sign Jack Grealish from Aston Villa in the summer transfer window.
The well-known and well-respected journalist has said that it will be difficult for Arsenal to pay the kind of transfer fee that Premier League rivals Villa would want for Grealish.
Romano has said that Arsenal will look for a player similar to the England International attacking midfielder if they are unable to keep Martin Odegaard for next season.
The Norway international attacking midfielder is on loan at Arsenal from Real Madrid and is scheduled to go back to the Spanish club at the end of the season.
Romano said on The Arsenal Lounge when asked about a potential move for Grealish to Arsenal: “I think it’s really difficult. More than €85 million, around €90 million, his asking price, I think it’s really complicated to sign this player, not just for Arsenal, this summer.
“It will be really difficult. I know that they are moving to look at this kind of opportunities, but they think that the price of the player they want to sign as number 10, if Odegaard will not stay, the fee will be a bit less than this, maybe €35 million, €50 million, not more than this, not like €80 million or €90 million. So it will be a bit different, and I think Grealish is really complicated.”
Before we proceed any further, it must be noted that there are no credible reports linking Arsenal with Grealish.
Romano was asked about rumours regarding Arsenal and Grealish, and the above was his response.
The question is whether Arsenal could afford Grealish.
The Times have reported that Villa are looking for £80 million, and it is hard to see Arsenal able to pay that much, especially with no Champions League football next season.
If Odegaard is not at Arsenal next season, then manager Mikel Arteta will need a replacement for the Norwegian.
Grealish is one of the best attacking players in the Premier League and is rated highly by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.
Given that Grealish is older and more mature than Emile Smith Rowe, he would make a big difference for Arsenal.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
