Manchester City has announced the capture of former Aston Villa captain and England international Jack Grealish on a six-year deal for the handsome sum of £100 million from Aston Villa, ending months of speculation about the future of the 25-year-old.
Grealish made his senior debut for boyhood club Aston Villa in 2014 against Manchester City and the midfielder confessed to having spent most of his time on the pitch chasing Yaya Toure around after coming on as a substitute. Grealish rose through the ranks at Villa, making his first appearances at the club for the U18s before going out on a loan spell to Notts County in 2013. Grealish turned out for Villa 238 times, scoring 37 goals and creating 49. The England international signed a new Villa contract amid speculations over his future after the 2019/20 season. The 25-year-old can operate centrally as a number 10 or from the left wing due to his superb dribbling ability. He proved himself to be one of the best players in the English Premier League over the past two seasons, winning his first England call-ups during this period. He ranked among the best creators in the Premier League last season alongside new teammate Kevin De Bruyne and Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes.
Grealish moved to Manchester City because, in his words, they were the best team in the world with a manager widely regarded as one of the best in the world. He stated that the move was a dream come true for him, and he was happy to move to Manchester City. According to renowned football journalist Fabrizio Romano, Aston Villa offered Grealish a new contract with a higher salary than Manchester City was offering, but the possibility of winning the Premier League and Champions League with Manchester City proved to be the difference in the mind of the player. He has taken the number 10 shirt previously worn by club legend Sergio Aguero. He becomes the most expensive British player ever, and his transfer has broken the British record, making Manchester City the first British team to pay £100 million for a single player.
