Tottenham should not hesitate to sign Jack Grealish in January
According to an earlier report from Sky Sports, Tottenham Hotspur were linked with Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish in the summer and the Lilywhites had tabled a £25million bid to land the youngster. However, Aston Villa were not interested in selling their prized asset and rejected the bid before tying Grealish down to a new five-year contract (h/t Sky Sports).
However, as the Times puts it down, Jack Grealish has a £45million release clause in his new contract and Villa would be open to selling the player if the potential suitors are ready to meet the buyout clause.
And that opens the door for the Premier League clubs, including Spurs, to revive their interest in the young playmaker.
Spurs have made a decent start to their top-flight campaign and the Lilywhites enjoyed an unbeaten streak in their first three games which included a 3-0 drubbing of Manchester United.
However, Pochettino’s men suffered a dip in form which saw them crumble to three consecutive defeats at the hands of Watford, Liverpool, and Inter Milan in the Champions League. Although those back-to-back defeats took the wind out of their sails to some extent, the Lilywhites got themselves back to winning ways with a 2-1 victory over Brighton and Hove Albion last weekend.
Undoubtedly, Spurs have several high-profile players in their starting XI but the lack of quality among the reserves is something that should be a cause of concern for Mauricio Pochettino. The manager embarked on the current season with his current squad of players and did not bring in reinforcements in the summer.
However, now that Spurs’ lack of squad depth has been exposed with their inability to fill in the boots of Dele Alli and Mousa Dembele in some games, Pochettino should make a move to sign Jack Grealish in January.
A product of Aston Villa’s youth system, Grealish began his professional career with his boyhood club and made his Premier League debut in the 2013/14 season. Since then, he has made a total of 117 appearances for the club across all competitions, netting on nine occasions.
Currently, Spurs have only one quality playmaker in Christian Eriksen and the Danish international has shouldered the bulk of the attacking workload along with Harry Kane and Heung-min Son in recent times. Dele Alli has injected life into the game with flashes of brilliance but his consistency hasn’t been great.
To put things into perspective, Pochettino should look to add a bit more edge and guile to his attack by making a bid for Jack Grealish. The former England U21 international is a promising youngster whose sound technique not only allows him to receive the ball with minimal first touch errors but also helps him maintain wonderful close control.
Despite lacking in terms of physical abilities, his technique combined with his ability to shield the ball from the defenders make him a difficult player to dispossess. A versatile attacking midfielder who is capable of playing either down the left or through the centre, Grealish often uses his awareness and vision to pick out the runs of his teammates with precise passes both in the air and on the ground.
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The 23-year-old is also a good crosser of the ball and has the ability to link the play with his teammates with quick and short passes. Furthermore, he is adept at weaving his way through narrow spaces and does not hesitate to have a crack on goal.
That said, Grealish should be the ideal addition to Tottenham’s midfield four. Having him in the squad should provide cover and competition for the likes of Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen. Hence, Pochettino should go all out to sign the youngster in January.
