Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is keen to add more creativity to his midfield and as a result, the club are prioritising a move for Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish, as per The Independent.
In order to close the gap between ourselves Manchester City and Liverpool, recruiting top talent is essential. Players who can slot into the existing squad, hit the ground running and have a real impact. Similar to how Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka have this season.
At the moment our alternative attacking midfield options consist of Juan Mata, Andreas Pereira and Jesse Lingard. Sadly I think it’s time that these three were moved on, one is simply too old and slow, the others just aren’t good enough for Manchester United.
Competing on four fronts, the existing midfield trio of Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes and Nemanja Matic can’t and won’t play every single game. Inevitably we will have injuries and suspensions throughout the season. This is where adding additional quality will assist Ole in getting United back to where they belong, that’s not competing for a top four place.
Jack Grealish offers flexibility as he can play in numerous positions and adds a creative/goal scoring threat. He also acts as an alternative set piece taker, having overseen free kick and corner duties for Aston Villa.
Former Aston Villa Manager Tim Sherwood is also of the opinion, that Grealish will favour a move to United and add something to the team:
“I think Jack Grealish is a deal which is already done,” Sherwood told Premier League Productions, as cited by the Manchester Evening News.
“He’s a player that they [Manchester United] need.
“I honestly believe there’s only one club for Jack Grealish.”
Pushed further on his claim, Sherwood said it was inevitable that Grealish would move to United, adding: “I don’t think he can stay at Aston Villa, he needs to progress his career. I think he signs for Manchester United.”
Villa boss Dean Smith has joked Grealish signed a new long-term contract uring the celebrations after Villa’s safety in the Premier League was confirmed on Sunday.
Holding onto Jack Grealish will be impossible for Villa, similar to the Maguire deal, negotiations dragged on for a while and we eventually caved to Leicester’s asking price. Covid-19 will have an impact on how clubs spend, Villa may want £80m for example, but in reality they will take less and Grealish will plead his case for a move.
His talent warrants a bigger stage and how can he resist an opportunity to play in the Champions League? I don’t think it will be long until we see Jack Grealish strutting around the pitch at Old Trafford.
An improvement on our existing options and a step in the right direction.
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