Aston Villa’s ace Jack Grealish has been in hot form this season and is currently being targeted by the likes of Manchester United and Manchester City.
(function(v,d,o,ai){ai=d.createElement(‘script’);ai.defer=true;ai.async=true;ai.src=v.location.protocol+o;d.head.appendChild(ai);})(window, document, ‘//a.vdo.ai/core/dkodingv2/vdo.ai.js’);Manchester United has reportedly been in the leading position to land the Aston Villa star with Manchester City having joined the race after Leroy Sane’s departure to Bayern Munich.
The 24-year-old midfielder has scored ten goals and assisted eight times in all competitions this season, making them their most, and perhaps only creative player.
The Englishman is Aston Villa’s main attacking engine, performing 41 passes per game on average, making up 11% of Villa’s total passes per game. Grealish’s skills on the ball are also reflected in his passing success percentage, with the Aston Villa captain completing 84.8% of his overall passes.
His creativity is further illustrated through key passes and chances created. The Birmingham born playmaker averages 2.6 key passes and creates 0.68 chances per game. His expected assists tally is 16, which is 7 more than the number of assists he has got this season, implying that Grealish’s teammates have wasted some good opportunities in front of goal.
Grealish’s contribution to Villa’s attacking play is even more staggering when looking at the following metrics. This Premier League season, he has been involved in 66% of Villa’s attacking moves ending in a shot. Additionally, he has had 80% of involvement in plays resulting in a goal.
These statistics indicate that Grealish is undeniably Aston Villa’s most important player and one of the key reasons for staying in the Premier League.
Jack Grealish player profile
Statistics aside, Grealish can be defined as an exceptionally all-rounded player with pretty much every skill in his arsenal.
His flamboyant playing style allows him to swap positions frequently throughout the game. Grealish can drop deep to collect the ball and spread the passes around, possessing a good eye for a pass. Conversely, after picking up the ball in deep areas he can make progressive runs, carrying the ball to advanced areas of the pitch.
He also possesses the perfect skill-set for a deep lying playmaker, in that he is able to retain ball-possession for long periods due to his superb technical ability. Additionally, tidy close-ball control prevents him from losing it in tight areas. Grealish’s abilities to shoot from distance and take set-piece round out his offensive skill-set.
Nevertheless, with all the hype surrounding him, Grealish is not flawless. The main areas of weakness would be his defensive contribution and tackling. Grealish is a star player at Villa; therefore, he has free licence to do pretty much everything he wants. However, if Grealish eventually does end up at City or United, he obviously will not have the same status as he does at Villa. Consequently, his defensive aspects of the game will have to improve.
How would he suit the styles of play at each Manchester club?
To reiterate, Grealish is a highly versatile player who can play in a number of positions.
This season, he has spent most of the time playing as a left-winger/forward (23 matches) with central-midfield (7 matches) and central-attacking midfield (6 matches) as his other main positions.
If Grealish signs for Man United, it is highly likely that he would end up in a no. 10 role as a central-attacking midfielder.
United’s preferred formation this season has been a 4-2-3-1 with Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic in central midfield and Bruno Fernandes slightly ahead of them. With Grealish in the side, Fernandes could be moved back in place of Matic or Pogba with Grealish occupying the central-attacking midfield role.
On the other hand, Grealish could also find himself on the left of the front three with Rashford as a centre-forward and either Anthony Martial or Mason Greenwood on the right.
Regardless of the outcome, the signing of Grealish would probably signal the end to Jesse Lingard’s Manchester United career.
On the flip side, Grealish could suit Manchester City’s attacking schemes just as well. The 24-year-old has played a big chunk of games this season as a left-winger/forward. It means that Sterling could be moved to the right with Grealish occupying the place on the left and using his right-foot to cut inside.
The Aston Villa man is a different style of player to Sane no doubt; however, with a lack of out-and-out wingers available in the market, Grealish is an alternative option who could prove to be just as effective. Besides that, City play in a 4-3-3 formation that uses two central/attacking midfield types of players. This is an area where Grealish could excel as well, especially with a spot becoming available after David Silva’s departure.
The Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has revealed himself to be a huge admirer of Grealish, praising the 24-year-old Englishman before City’s meetings with Aston Villa. “Aston Villa have one of the best players in the league in Jack Grealish,” the Catalan said, prior to the Carabao Cup final in February. “I am a big fan of him.”
“He is an exceptional player. I did not know him before I came here because he was playing in the Championship, but he is an exceptional player, honestly,” Guardiola said before City’s trip to Midlands in early January.
Pep Guardiola is a big fan of Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish
All in all, the only possible concern for either Manchester club might be the price tag. The English players have a tendency to be slightly overpriced and with Aston Villa securing their place in the Premier League for next season on Sunday, the price might inflate just a little bit more. Either club may decide, ultimately, that his versatility is worth the expense.
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