Man City have trump card in Jack Grealish transfer talks with clubs
Manchester City will not be short of interest in Jack Grealish this summer but getting clubs to pay up may take some persuasion
It sounds too good to be true: a £100m asset that not only doesn't cost any of that but also comes on a fraction of the wage costs. And if it sounds too good to be true, it almost certainly is.
Jack Grealish being allowed to leave Manchester City this summer has certainly attracted interest from clubs, and you can't blame them for wanting it to be on terms that are most favourable to them. Newcastle, Aston Villa and Everton have all been linked with a loan move that involves City paying a significant part of the wages for their player to represent somebody else.
That may well be the solution that is found at the very end of the transfer window, but it is a last resort for City and it is surely a last resort for Grealish as he looks to get his career back on track after two years of treading water.
For a player who still believes he can play at the highest level, supported by a talent group who have some of the biggest stars in the game, the idea of wasting another two-and-a-half months surely cannot be on the agenda.
Grealish may want to move to a club who can only offer a loan deal, but for the bulk of the window that should not be City's problem. Their trump card in any negotiations has been boosted by England manager Thomas Tuchel, who made it clear what the player has to do if he wants to represent his country at the World Cup next year.
“He needs to make himself available by playing,” said Tuchel. “I think it’s one of his key strengths; to go every three days and get better and better with every minute that he has in his legs.
“That’s what is missing, nothing else. I love Jack for his personality and of course his talent. He is a very unique player who can handle big pressure on the field. He is never shy of pressure.
“He grows in big matches but he’s a player who needs minutes and minutes and minutes and simply does not get them for a very long time. That’s basically everything.”
Grealish has to show Tuchel that he is willing to make sacrifices in order to make the cut, and that should involve being active enough to strike an early deal that gives him as much playing time as possible. That should rule out any clubs hanging around hoping that City will be pushed at the end of the window into any deal possible just to get some of his wages off the books.
If Grealish does want to prove himself, he needs to prove it before the season has even begun. As long as he does that, City should be left with a deal they are happy with.
The FIFA Club World Cup will see 32 of the world's best club teams including Man City, Chelsea, Real Madrid, PSG and Bayern Munich play across 63 games from June 14-July 13.
Fans can watch every match live and for free by signing up to DAZN.
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