Aston Villa ‘expecting bids from Manchester United and Manchester City for Jack Grealish’
Aston Villa are expecting January bids from Manchester United and Manchester City for star midfielder Jack Grealish, according to reports.
Grealish is currently enjoying the best season of his career – scoring five goals and laying on six assists already – to keep his boyhood side away from relegation danger, and now looks certain to earn a place in Gareth Southgate‘s England squad for Euro 2020 next summer.
The 25-year-old was heavily linked with a move away from Villa Park this summer, but ended up staying put and even committed his future to the club by signing a new long-term contract in September. He now earns a reported £140,000 per week – making him Villa’s highest earner.
Aston Villa are braced for bids from United and City for star man Jack Grealish, reports claim
But that hasn’t deterred United and City, with the Mirror claiming that both clubs will test Villa’s resolve when the January transfer window opens.
United looked to be one of the favourites to land Grealish before the 20-21 season began, but ended up signing Ajax star Donny van de Beek for £40million instead.
Liverpool are another club keeping tabs on Grealish, the report adds, having watched him pull the strings in their shock 7-2 loss to the Villans. He provided three assists and scored twice in that hammering.
After penning new terms at Villa, Grealish – who has five caps for England – insisted he felt ‘at home’ and was excited about the ambitious plans from the club’s owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens.
Grealish was said to be a big target for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (L) while Pep Guardiola (R) has always been looking to bolster his midfield options
Grealish has five caps for England and looks certain to make Gareth Southgate’s Euro squad
‘I am delighted to make this commitment to Villa,’ he said. ‘It is my club, my home and I am very happy here.
‘The owners have made it very clear to me how ambitious they are and how they want to build Aston Villa. There are exciting times ahead and I am very glad to be part of it.’
The prospect of playing Champions League could be tempting for Grealish however, as well as the possibility of winning the first major trophies of his career.
He signed a new deal in September but could be tempted by Champions League football
While it has been a standout season for Grealish, he has suffered some controversy in recent months. Last week he was banned from driving and fined more than £80,000 for two motoring offences.
In March he breached lockdown rules by attending a friend’s house before crashing his car in Solihull – which saw two other vehicles damaged. The previous day he had urged members of the public to stay at home to saves lives during the pandemic.
And in a separate incident in October, Grealish was seen driving carelessly near Vilal’s training ground.
