Manchester United are preparing a £55m deal for Jack Grealish after baulking at Aston Villa’s £75m asking price and the club believe the midfielder has his heart set on a move to Old Trafford, according to the Metro.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is expected to be busy in the transfer market this summer as he looks to build a squad capable of competing for the title next season and the United boss is reportedly wanting to strengthen his attacking midfield options.
Bruno Fernandes has made a huge impact since arriving from Sporting Lisbon in January but Man Utd have been over reliant on him and the Portuguese international looked noticeably tired during the closing games of the season.
Therefore, United want someone to help share the load and Grealish has been strongly linked with a move to United in recent months after playing a starring role to help Aston Villa survive relegation from the top flight.
The 24-year-old scored 10 goals and provided a further 8 assists in his 41 appearances for a poor Villa side and it seems his excellent form has impressed Solskjaer as the Metro says United are ready to press ahead with their interest after securing Champions League qualification.
According to the newspaper, Man Utd are unwilling to meet Villa’s £75m valuation but have discussed tabling an opening offer of £45m up front plus another £10m in add-ons, making the entire deal worth £55m.
The Red Devils may have to increase their bid as the opening offer is expected to be rejected by Aston Villa but the Metro says United won’t sanction a deal for Grealish that would be worth more than the £66m [including add-ons] they paid for Fernandes.
It remains to be seen whether Villa will lower their asking price as they are under no immediate pressure to cash-in on their captain after securing their Premier League status on the final day of the season.
However, Manchester United are ready to play hard-ball as the Metro says they beleive Grealish has his heart set on a move to Old Trafford and could even request a move when he holds formal talks with Villa about his future in the next two weeks.
We’ll have to wait and see how things develop but Grealish would be an excellent addition to United’s squad if they can get a deal agreed. He’s able to play across the attacking midfield positions so his versatility will appeal to Solskjaer and he’d be top class competition for the likes of Fernandes and Paul Pogba.
