Aston Villa are acceptant that Jack Grealish may leave the club this summer amid interest from Man City in a eyewatering transfer, according to the Daily Mail.
The Villans do not want Grealish to leave Birmingham but realise that he may and are preparing for the future. Sporting Director Johan Lange is ready to hand Dean Smith a £100m budget if Man City pay their asking price.
Grealish will only leave Aston Villa if Man City match their demands for a British transfer record. Paul Pogba’s return to Manchester United for €105m (£90m) is the current record for a player joining a Premier League side and the outright sixth-most expensive of all-time.
Aston Villa will give Smith money to spend if Man City sign Grealish with the idea of adding three players. The West Midlands outfit want to establish a place as a top 10 Premier League side with a deeper squad.
Smith struggled to maintain Aston Villa’s results when without Grealish last term, with their captain highly important to the system. He also ended the top-flight term second across the division for assists with 12 and scored six times.
Ideally, Aston Villa would keep Grealish and hope he stays fit after a persistent shin problem. But they accept his exit is likely with Man City showing an interest since late February, although they are yet to submit an official bid.
Man City can sign Grealish through a release clause in his Aston Villa contract. But Pep Guardiola’s outfit cannot pay £100m for the maestro and his England teammate Harry Kane in the same window. The Citizens would have to sell players to be able to afford both.
Aston Villa wise to plan for post-Grealish future amid Man City interest
Aston Villa are wise to plan for a potential post-Grealish future in Birmingham amid Man City’s intent interest. Smith and Lange would be naïve to turn a blind eye to Guardiola’s admiration of the 25-year-old and not prepare any bids for potential replacements.
Bringing three new faces to Villa Park with the funds raised from Grealish leaving would also be the right move. A £100m budget would allow Aston Villa to sign top talents that would supplement those already in the West Midlands.
Lange and Smith limiting themselves to three players with the funds provided by Man City for Grealish also avoids Aston Villa overloading the squad and destabilising what they have already built. But that’s not to say they will not miss what the club product brings.
Few Premier League players can offer what Grealish brings to the table at Aston Villa, hence Man City’s interest. Emiliano Martinez called him ‘[Lionel] Messi with a right foot’ and lauded him as ‘the most talented player I’ve ever seen’ on talkSPORT back in February.
But it may prove that Aston Villa can only keep hold of Grealish for so long if Man City do step in with an official bid.
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