Manchester City’s hopes of signing Jack Grealish this summer have taken a blow after Chelsea reportedly joined the race to sign him from Aston Villa, which will surely be a cause of frustration for Citizens manager Pep Guardiola.
City have been regularly linked with the England international ahead of the summer transfer window and have been touted as the favourites to sign the 26-year-old, despite heavy interest from local rivals Manchester United.
However, their chances of signing him this summer have been narrowed after fellow Premier League side Chelsea joined the race for his signature ahead of next season, with reports suggesting that the Stamford Bridge outfit are now best placed to bring him in.
Grealish enjoyed a phenomenal season for Dean Smith’s side, contributing six goals and 10 assists in 26 Premier League appearances, which helped him average a superb 7.56 rating from WhoScored for his performances in the top-flight.
Considering only Harry Kane and Kevin De Bruyne would be rated higher across the season, it is easy to see why the winger is attracting so much interest ahead of the summer, and strong performances for England at the European Championships this summer will surely only increase his value further.
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Guardiola is certainly a big fan of the Villa captain too, as he sang his praises in 2019, saying:
“He’s incredible. A top player. I’m happy he [initially] stayed in the Championship to defend his club.
“He’s a talented player who always creates something. An exceptional player but too expensive for Manchester.”
However, with a rebuild on the cards at Manchester City this summer, they may well now be able to afford the “unbelievable” Grealish, so a move to the Etihad certainly isn’t impossible.
Unfortunately for City, spending money won’t be an issue for Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich this summer after Thomas Tuchel helped the Blues win the Champions League last season and Grealish may well be tempted to join the West London side, who will surely be one of the contenders to challenge City in the Premier League next season.
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Guardiola will be hoping that City still hold the edge but sporting director Txiki Begiristain will have to act quickly if he wants to sign Grealish this summer.
And, in other news… City suffer huge transfer blow with “world-class” former PL-beast, Pep surely fuming