Manchester City in Pole Position to Sign Grealish

Around a month ago, several reports stated that Grealish’s move to Manchester City had been agreed. The Premier League champions were to pay £88m to Aston Villa, who had supposedly completed the signing of Emi Buendia from Norwich City because they knew Grealish was on the way out. The transfer, it was said, would go through after the European Championship.

It appears that such stories were premature. We now know that Manchester City have made an official £100 million bid to sign Grealish although Aston Villa are yet to accept this fee and might hold firm considering that losing the midfielder might seriously scupper their plans for the new campaign. It might also be the case that the player wants to remain with the Villans.

It is easy to see why Pep Guardiola is keen to acquire the 25-year-old. True, he is not exactly short of options in attacking midfield. But City will once again compete on four fronts in 2021/22, and squad depth will be crucial to their chances of a successful season.

Grealish can play as part of a front three or as one member of a midfield trio, and Guardiola will appreciate his versatility as well as his quality. He has proven himself in the Premier League and will require little adaptation time, while at 25 years of age he has yet to reach his peak. Grealish’s touch, technique and creative flair would make him the ideal fit for a Guardiola side.

It is worth backing Grealish to join Manchester City this summer with the best betting sites. The price was much shorter when reports of a deal first came out a month ago, so evens represents decent (if not spectacular) value given that the terms of the deal appear to already be in place.

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Grealish Loves Aston Villa and Could Sign New Deal

On the other hand, perhaps the fact the transfer has not yet gone through indicates Grealish is having second thoughts. After all, if the two clubs have indeed agreed a fee, why else but doubts in the player’s mind would be the saga be dragging on?

Grealish loves Aston Villa. He is a Birmingham boy and a lifelong Villa fan who joined the club’s academy at the age of six. He has made more than 200 appearances for the first team and been the club captain for more than two years. Grealish spent three seasons in the Championship with Villa when other players would have moved on.

And let’s not forget: Villa are a huge club. They have still won more European Cups than Manchester City, who lost this year's final to Chelsea. Villa have been ambitious in the transfer market since the summer of 2020, signing the likes of Ollie Watkins, Emiliano Martinez, Buendia and Ashley Young. This is not a club content to settle for mere survival in the Premier League – and Grealish will know that better than anyone.

Even so, the England international should think carefully before rejecting a move to Manchester. There is a tendency to assume such opportunities will be on the table forever. There have already been calls from some pundits for Grealish to “give it another year” before moving on. But City and their like will not wait around forever. The Premier League champions will pursue other targets, and a dip in form or series of injuries for Grealish next season would make him less attractive to potential buyers.

Players like Matt Le Tissier continue to be celebrated for their loyalty to a mid-table club, but most professionals would not have taken his decision to stay at Southampton for his whole career. Trophies are not the be-all and end-all in football, but Grealish may ultimately conclude that he has reached the age where a player of his calibre needs to be winning silverware.

Manchester United an Outside Bet at This Stage

None of Chelsea, Arsenal or Liverpool is likely to enter the race at this stage, but there is an outside chance that Manchester United could revive their interest. It is clearly a long shot at 25/1 with Unibet but merits some discussion given the club’s interest in Grealish last summer.

Their chances of winning the race for the 25-year-old may well depend on the future of Paul Pogba. The Frenchman has less than 12 months remaining on his contract, and Paris Saint-Germain are said to be eyeing a £50m swoop.

With Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane on their way to Old Trafford, it is hard to see United splashing out another sizable sum on Grealish unless their coffers are boosted by the exit of Pogba. He and Grealish are not the same type of player, but the Villa schemer would still be an adequate replacement.

As things stand, though, this looks to be a straight head-to-head between Manchester City and Aston Villa. As indicated by the odds with football betting sites, this one could go either way.