Transfer Rumors: Manchester United’s $142M Target Prefers Man City This Summer

Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish, who was linked with a move to Manchester United last summer, reportedly wants to join their rivals City now.

Regarded by Pep Guardiola as "incredible" and "exceptional" in the Premier League, Grealish prefers Manchester City over their derby rivals ahead of the 2021 summer market, people close to the Villa Park player told The Athletic. International Business Times, however, could not verify it independently.

It has been reported that the Premier League champions Manchester City are willing to spend as high as $142 million (£100million) for Grealish, which would make the Aston Villa skipper English football’s first-ever £100million player.

Meanwhile, a few of Manchester United’s players are believed to have urged Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to sign Grealish instead of Jadon Sancho of Borussia Dortmund this summer. However, it has been reported that Solskjaer will still prioritize Sancho at the summer market. While the Red Devils’ current requirement is to add a right-winger to their squad, Grealish naturally plays on the left.

It has also been revealed that while Aston Villa are not looking to cash in on their captain this summer. They won’t accept any bids less than a British record fee, sports website Givemesport reported. With City ready to spend as high as $142 million on Grealish, it would be difficult for the Villa Park club to refuse the deal and as well as the Red Devils to match or exceed it, especially in the current scenario where many soccer clubs are undergoing financial crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite winning the league title thrice in four years, Guardiola’s Man City are not looking to slow down. The Spaniard wants to boost his squad ahead of the 2021-22 campaign and apart from Grealish, the Etihad side is also chasing Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane and Inter Milan’s Romelu Lukaku.

Aston Villa, who thrashed Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool FC 7-2 at home, finished 11th in the 2020-21 Premier League, ahead of the likes of Wolves, Crystal Palace and Newcastle. In 27 competitive appearances for his boyhood club this season, Grealish netted seven goals and provided 12 assists.