After winning the Europa League and qualifying for the Champions League, it promises to be an exciting summer for those of an Aston Villa persuasion.
Given the haphazard and baffling nature of PSR, Morgan Rogers might be sold to balance the books, but Villa – and Unai Emery – will be finely poised to replace him with a stellar signing or two.
Villa won the Europa League at a canter in the end, thrashing Nottingham Forest 4-1 on aggregate in the semi-final and then beating Freiburg convincingly in a one-sided final.
Despite Villa being managed by a sought-after head coach in Emery and having some serious riches to attract top players, one name that keeps cropping up among the fan base is that of Jack Grealish, who could find himself in limbo this summer.
Any Aston Villa interest in Jack Grealish should evaporate very quickly
Grealish will forever be remembered as one of, if not the best, academy graduates to ever come through the ranks at Bodymoor Heath – but the ship for him at Villa has now surely sailed.
Grealish spent a number of years in the first team at Villa, remaining at the football club amid vast interest after relegation to the Championship.
In total, he made 213 appearances for his boyhood club, scoring 32 goals and claiming 43 assists before making a £100 million switch to Manchester City.
At the Etihad Stadium, he was never quite loved by the fans like he was at Villa, with Pep Guardiola transforming him into a more disciplined forward, with Grealish losing some of his spark.
Guardiola did call Grealish ‘outstanding’ during his time at the football club, but ultimately, he just wasn’t the same sort of player with City that he was when he was given license to excite at Villa.
It goes without saying that Grealish probably could be a useful squad option for Villa, especially with the Champions League campaign on the horizon, but really, it would see romance prioritised over a solid recruitment mindset.
Grealish claimed eight goal contributions from 22 appearances for Everton last season before breaking his foot, and his campaign was ended early.
Given the finances that would likely be involved to get him out of City and pay him a salary, it’s fair to say that there are far better options out there than the 31-year-old – and supporters know it!
Villa supporters are not convinced by Grealish coming back
Fans have been having their say on all things Aston Villa transfers over on our TalkingPoints app, and nobody is dead set on Grealish signing for the club this summer.
One Villa fan offered the message: “I think the club has moved on. He did okay at Everton to be fair, but I think he will probably want to try and get in favour with the new manager at City anyway.”
Another fan felt it wasn’t in Grealish’s best interests to go back to Villa, saying: “There’s no sense coming back. He wouldn’t be the main man anymore.”
Another felt there was no need for Villa to even consider this move, adding: “Just don’t see the need, returning players rarely work out as you’d hope.”
Another was adamant he should be as far away from Villa Park as possible, suggesting: “KEEP HIM AWAY!!! He’s been nothing but trouble at Everton.”
Another was undeterred by the reservations and said: “Get him back, proper player.”
What happens to Grealish beyond this summer remains to be seen, but a move to Villa looks nonsensical, and if that is his wish, he might be left very disappointed once the window slams shut.
