Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a move to sign Manchester City wide forward Jack Grealish in the ongoing summer transfer window given the England international’s links with a move away from Etihad Stadium. The fact that he has fallen under the pecking order at City in the last season shows how Pep Guardiola is looking to play more high-flair and rapid wide forwards at City, given how first Doku and then the winter arrival Omar Marmoush climbed over a once £100m man at City.
And given his links with a move away complemented by how Daniel Levy has always wanted to bring him to Hotspur Way (given that Spurs have been linked with Grealish since his academy days at Villa Park), the rumours about the 29-year-old moving to N17 have resurfaced this summer.
There have also been reports suggesting that the Manchester Blues are ready to accept a £40m fee for Grealish. Now if we consider the recruitment strategy at Tottenham, where Daniel Levy always insists on bagging value-driven transfers, spending such a fee even for a high-profile name like Grealish seems too hefty.
Jack Grealish and his time at City
Grealish to Spurs? Hutton sees potential despite financial hurdles
Will Jack Grealish sign for Tottenham?
The Englishman made a record-breaking transfer to Etihad Stadium but has struggled to establish himself as a consistent presence in the starting eleven under Pep Guardiola. To put it into context, he only started seven (7) league games in the previous campaign, which is a clear show of how he is no longer untouchable at City, and their willingness to sell him shows that. So then why pay £40 million for a player whose own club doesn’t fully trust him?
Don’t get me wrong. Grealish had wonderful abilities, especially when he used to take on his man during his time at Villa, but with time we have seen how it has depleted whilst playing under the Catalan manager at City. And that also saw him having a declining output, and if I were to put that into numbers, the 29-year-old has only had 4 goals and 2 assists in the past couple of seasons in the English top tier. And to be honest, those numbers don’t justify a £40m fee in today’s market. If I am comparing that to bringing in someone like Eberechi Eze or Mohammed Kudus instead, who gives me more dynamism and long-term upside, even if they are a bit more expensive than Grealish.
And Grealish is not ideal for Frank’s system as well
Frank is likely going to deploy mid-block system but will Grealish suit that?
If we look into how the Dane head coach likes to have his system, he likes to build a structured system where he integrates pressing discipline with vertical explosiveness, where they depict efficient transition sequences along with hard-working wide players.
And Grealish, for all of his tactical ability that he inherited from playing under Pep, doesn’t have that close control about him or isn’t particularly explosive or press-resistant anymore. His tempo is more suitable to play owing to being on a side that wants to keep the ball and dictate the rhythm of the sequences. And that is not quite suited to what Thomas Frank’s hybrid mid-block system demands.
Wages would also be a problem with Grealish
If Levy is to use that desperation of Manchester City to agree to a knockoff deal within £25-30m figures, his high wages will also risk disrupting the wage structure that Daniel Levy has worked hard to establish at N17.
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Author Opinion
Grealish might still have something to bring to the roster, maybe in a squad player capacity, especially given that the North Londoners are to play in the UEFA Champions League in the upcoming season, but then the fee might be too hefty. If Grealish is to lower his wages substantially and if Levy can agree to a knock-off transfer fee with Man City, then he could be a decent addition. But that should not spur Spurs away from bringing in marquee players who are going to start and dominate in the starting eleven (your Kudus and Eze).