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To be sure, Aston Villa truly believed that speculation about Jack Grealish’s future would dissipate as soon as he put pen to paper on that five-year deal in September.
Unfortunately, that has proven to be an illusion. Such has been the excellent form of their captain this season, new rumors of interest from the two Manchester clubs are never far away.
So the player who has more auditions than an unfortunate actor will have another when Villa travels to Manchester United on New Year’s Day.
Grealish has already proven himself at home on the most important stages of football. On his last visit to Old Trafford, he scored a scream in the top corner in a 2-2 draw and celebrated with a knee slide as he looked out over the Stretford End.
It was almost a ‘this is what I could have’ message for United, but the summer deal never materialized.
Grealish was then valued at around £ 80 million. That has now rocketed north of £ 100 million thanks to a season that has seen him score six goals and contribute eight assists for Villa, lifting them to fifth place in the Premier League. He has also won his first five games for England.
Explain why some bookies are offering odds as low as 5/1 for Grealish to join United during the next January transfer window, or 9/4 to go to Manchester City.
In which case, Villa’s latest trip to Old Trafford has an intriguing schedule. But keep in mind that he is very likely to remain a Villa player in February.
Despite the fact that expensive January transfers are rare (United’s transformative purchase of Bruno Fernandes 12 months ago was a notable exception), push and pull factors don’t seem to be present for Grealish today.
Last season, he was instrumental in ensuring that Villa was not relegated to the Championship the first moment he asked. This season, they are a very different proposition.
Any concern that they would be sucked into another relegation fight was long gone. His form has been well above expectations and Grealish, seemingly revitalized by committing his future to the club, has led by example.
Their performances in the memorable 7-2 victory over Liverpool (two goals, three assists) and the 3-0 away win against Arsenal are notable. Another in a lost cause, when he scored and set up two more in a 4-3 home loss to Southampton, is more often forgotten.
Grealish’s consistent scoring streak and assist contributions have helped Villa’s aspirations this season shift from survival to potentially entering Europe.
While United have been in good shape as of late, emerging as genuine Liverpool rivals for the title, the three points are far from assured when Villa arrives in town on Friday night.
It certainly won’t be the walk in the park United enjoyed when they beat Villa 3-0 on July 9, when their counterattack football tore the hosts apart.
So Villa is surpassing the achievements: They are just four points behind Man United with one game in hand and three places ahead of Man City. It is not logical for Grealish to leave ship at this time.
It is unlikely that you will regret too much of not making that big move in the summer. It’s nice to be the star of a team that is overweight, plays regularly, and makes a big difference. Doubly for his childhood team.
And any fear that staying at Villa would freeze his chances for England has proven completely unfounded. Gareth Southgate would have to be deliberately ignorant not to cast Grealish in his form this season.
Thankfully he did and in a few games now it looks like Grealish could not only go to Euro 2020 next summer, but could also start with England.
On the other hand, United are doing quite well without him. Seconds in the table and breathing down Liverpool’s neck, they have improved by leaps and bounds since a slow start to the season.
Unlike 12 months ago, when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looked ready for the sack and the team was booed after losing at home to Burnley, there is no need for repairs in January.
It’s also hard to see where Grealish fits on the side. Replace Marcus Rashford on the left side of the attack or replace Fernandes in the role of number 10.
Solskjaer wouldn’t go down at the moment either, they’re his top scorers this season by a considerable margin.
United would have to turn Grealish into a right-side attacker to repair the most obvious hole there or change the entire attack to suit the newcomer.
By playing every game, he would also have to take his share of time on the bench to keep everyone satisfied.
United should already have enough to mount a title challenge in this unpredictable season. If they fall short in the end, a summer move to a Grealish or Jadon Sancho makes sense.
And while Manchester City have not been as usual for much of the season, they are not exactly light on offensive talent either. If Grealish were there, he would be part of Pep Guardiola’s talented forward rotation.
But the possibility of Grealish taking that step forward is not going away. Manchester clubs could increase their salary from £ 130,000 a week to more than £ 200,000 a week and that deal until 2025 would mean little.
There will be renewed interest in the summer without question, especially if Villa does not qualify for Europe.
And until it happens, every time Grealish faces United or City, many will see it as a new audition.
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
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