Ole Gunnar Solskjaer celebrates on the touchline (Getty Images)
According to The Sun, Manchester United could make an offer for Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish after head coach Ole Gunnar Solskjær refused to rule out a move for the midfielder.
Manchester United are having a troublesome season which has seen them drop to 10th in the league table. Injuries to key players have halted their progress.
Although they have the calibre of Paul Pogba and Fred, United have failed to put in consistent performances and churn out victories. The ageing Nemanja Matic has not been a starter this season while Scott McTominay has been the lone spark in the midfield for the Red Devils.
Jack Grealish, however, has been in scintillating form this season. He’s got three goals and four assists from 12 games, carrying the weight of Aston Villa on his shoulders as skipper. No English midfielder has been directly involved in more goals than the 7 he has created this season.
Grealish came through the Villa academy and got his first taste of men’s football on loan at Notts County in the 2013/14 season. Grealish played 16 matches in the 2015/16 season, as Villa were relegated from the Premier League for the first time.
He shone in the Championship though and became one of the standout players in the division. He also played a key role in guiding the Villans to the play-offs after being named the captain by manager Dean Smith and beating Derby County at Wembley.
Manchester United, on the contrary, lack a midfielder like Grealish. Ander Herrera ran his contract out and joined PSG for free in the summer window. He was an engine in the centre of the park and had the right intensity and aggression required in the Premier League. Grealish is similar, if not better than Herrera.
Grealish was the most fouled player in the Championship last season as he was at the receiving end of more than 150 fouls and that record has continued this campaign. He also has an outstanding success rate of 65% when it comes to the number of dribbles attempted. He has further created 30 chances from open play – second-best in the league, only 5 behind Kevin de Bruyne.
Verdict
In a team like Manchester United, Jack Grealish would thrive since he can carry the ball well. With prolific forwards like Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and summer signing Daniel James in the squad, United will become a better team if they sign Grealish.
He, along with McTominay and Pogba, would be capable of establishing a formidable midfield trio. Grealish has been the star of the season for Villa but a move away could be on the cards.