Jack Grealish helped Aston Villa gain promotion to the Premier League. (Getty Images)
According to the Daily Mirror, Manchester United are set to make Aston Villa star Jack Grealish their No. 1 summer transfer target, with James Maddison set to sign a new contract at Leicester City.
Jack Grealish, 24, has been playing well for Aston Villa this season, spearheading the side into the Carabao Cup final and contributing with nine goals and five assists.
The 24-year-old midfielder outshined James Maddison over two legs recently when the Villans beat Leicester in the League Cup semi-final last month.
The report adds that the Red Devils were also keen on Maddison but he is now close to signing a new contract with Leicester after opening talks in December. Maddison has made huge strides since joining from Norwich City in 2018 and earned his first senior England cap last November.
Manchester United managed to sign two players during the January transfer window – Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon and Odion Ighalo on loan from Shanghai Shenhua.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will hope to see the new signings make an instant impact and help United achieve a top-four finish this campaign.
The Red Devils’ campaign has been blighted by injuries to key players such as Paul Pogba, Scott McTominay and Marcus Rashford. Pogba has not started a Premier League game since September as an ankle injury continues to heavily disrupt his season at Old Trafford.
It may be that the French World Cup winner’s days in a United shirt are numbered, as Manchester Evening News reports the midfielder intends to leave the club in the summer.
Though United signed Fernandes last month, Pogba’s potential departure in the summer would leave a sizeable hole in Solskjaer’s midfield. That’s why the Red Devils are right in making Jack Grealish their No. 1 summer transfer target as he could be an able replacement for the Frenchman.
Grealish rose to prominence with his strong displays last season, where he played a key role in getting Villa promoted to the Premier League. He has carried the same form this season too and has already notched up seven goals and five assists from 23 games league appearances.
A No.10 by trade, the 24-year-old can also operate in a deeper role in the midfield or on either flank. Grealish has majorly been used in an advanced role at Villa this season by Dean Smith and he has been effective on several occasions.
Such versatility would be a big plus for Solskjaer’s United, who lack quality and depth in the midfield department.
At the age of 24, Grealish is probably at the right age to take his game to the next level by joining a club like United. He would not only add quality to the midfield but also depth to Solskjaer’s squad, so the Red Devils must do everything possible to sign Grealish in the summer.
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