Why Aston Villa should keep hold of Jack Grealish amidst interest
According to The Mirror, Aston Villa are ready to protect their prized asset midfielder Jack Grealish, who is strongly linked with a move to Manchester United in the summer.
Grealish, 24, came through the youth ranks at Villa Park and has been an Aston Villa player throughout his career, except for the 2013/14 season where he was on loan at Notts County. He has made 174 appearances for his boyhood club, scoring 24 goals and providing 31 assists so far.
He initially represented Ireland in the youth levels before making his debut for England’s U21 side in May 2016. He has featured 7 times for the side.
The Englishman was responsible for Villa’s return to the top-flight at the end of last season, where Dean Smith’s men beat Derby County in the two-legged Championship Play-Off final. Since 2016, he has been their captain.
Meanwhile, the Villans’ narrow 3-2 loss to Tottenham at the weekend hasn’t helped their position as they are currently 17th in the table. Despite putting in a brilliant performance, they failed to get a point and are facing the risk of being relegated back to the second-tier.
Despite the team’s poor all-round performance, Grealish has been one of their most consistent players in the last few years. He finished last season with 6 goals and 8 assists across all competitions and has taken his game to the next level this season.
The 24-year-old has scored 9 goals in 28 games this campaign while providing 8 assists. He has featured for the full 90 minutes in all the league games. He was instrumental in Villa’s 2-2 draw against Manchester United earlier in the campaign. Therefore, Villa are right in deciding to keep him at the club.
The English U21 international is set for a key role in the hope of securing Premier League status and Villa cannot afford to lose him if they play in the top-flight next season as well. If they manage hold onto him, it would be hugely helpful.
Predominantly an attacking midfielder, Grealish is capable of playing on the flanks too. He has been deployed on the left side of the pitch for the majority of the season and has been successful so far. His versatility would be crucial for the club in the years to come and he could be their player in the long run if Villa manage to ward off his admirers. It is clearly evident from the impact he is having on this Villa side right now and the numbers are a testament to the same.
Read more
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- Why Aston Villa were right to not sign Matej Vydra in January
- Why Aston Villa should avoid signing Alexander Sorloth in the summer
Verdict
The Birmingham-born midfielder is a highly-talented player and he has displayed his ability so far. It’s an absolute no-brainer for Villa to keep him and it’s the right choice by all means.
