Aston Villa set to offer Man City target Grealish a stellar new deal

Cameron Smith

Updated: 25 Jul 2021 05:53 CDT
3 min read

Grealish didn’t want Man Utd move, says Aston Villa boss Smith — © ProShots

Manchester City target Jack Grealish is set to be offered a new deal at current club Aston Villa as they attempt to ward of interest from Pep Guardiola's side.

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Grealish, who helped England to the European Championship final this summer, has been linked with a move away for over 12 months, but just last May signed a new four-year contract.

However, City's interest hasn't wavered and they are believed to test Villa's resolve with a bid of around £100 million for the 25-year-old.

In response, it has been reported that Villa are willing to offer Grealish a new deal that will see him earn around £200,000 per week, which would smash their club record.

It would also see Grealish become one of the Premier League's top earners, and signal a statement of intent from Villa, who want to surge back up the table.

Having already secured the signature of Emiliano Buendia, Dean Smith's side are in good shape ahead of the new season, and keeping hold of Grealish would show how far they've come since being promoted back to the top flight.

Why are Villa desperate to keep hold of Grealish?

The interest from City is justified, and the fact that they are willing to make Grealish the first £100m player in British history, shows the talent that the playmaker possesses.

Last season, he scored six and assisted 10 in just 24 Premier League starts, and his underlying numbers were excellent.

He completed 2.5 dribbles per 90, created 14 big chances, took 2.1 shots per 90, and had an xG + xA tally of 0.60, which was better than Heung-Min Son.

The most fouled player in the English top flight for the past two seasons, Grealish is an elite ball-carrier, and his 12.38 progressive carries per 90 places him in the 99th percentile for attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe's top five leagues.

That's exactly why Man City want him, and why Villa are desperate to keep him, and this transfer saga certainly isn't over yet.