Aston Villa captain, Jack Grealish has been in fine form in the 2019/20 season of the Premier League. He scored seven goals and assisted seven times in a total of 27 appearances for the club this season and has been their only bright spark in what has been a disappointing season for them otherwise.
Before the coronavirus pandemic brought the sporting world to a standstill, Villa were second from the bottom and hence, there is a good chance that they might even be relegated at the end of the season. But the 24-year-old Grealish has better things coming his way as Premier League clubs like Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United are reportedly chasing him for his signature. However, among these clubs, it is the Red Devils who are believed to be the frontrunners in the race.
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United were also interested in signing Leicester City playmaker James Maddison, but according to reports, they have been put off by Maddison's huge transfer fee demand. That's why they are chasing the talented Grealish who is expected to be available at a much lower fee. But the question that needs to be asked is -- Where does Grealish fit into United's set up? Let's take a look at his strengths and the position he is comfortable playing in to find out.
The 24-year-old is mainly an attacking midfielder who is equally adept in scoring and creating chances for other players as well. He plays behind the striker as a central attacking midfielder at Villa but he is equally strong playing in the left-wing as well.
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But Manchester United already have some very strong players in those two positions. They signed Bruno Fernandes recently for their attacking midfield role and he has been a huge success at that position so far. Moreover, they have as many as three players -- Anthony Martial, Daniel James and Marcus Rashford -- who specialize in playing from the left-wing position as well. So Grealish doesn't appear to fit into any of these roles.
The Red Devils are weaker in the centre forward and right-wing positions, and Grealish neither has much experience in those roles nor he is comfortable playing in those positions. So it would be better for United to look for players who specialize in those roles.
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Moreover, reports suggest it will cost around £70m to bring Grealish to Old Trafford and spending that much for a player who doesn't fit in the set up that well, even if he is being signed to strengthen the bench, doesn't make sense at all.
Feature Image: AFP / Paul Ellis
