Manchester City’s determination to sign Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland this summer means they may have to abandon plans to bring in £100 million-rated Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish.
The Villa skipper has attracted the interest of Pep Guardiola’s side, but the Telegraph reports that signing a striker is City’s priority in the upcoming transfer window.
Sergio Aguero, the Citizens’ all-time top scorer, will leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the season and Haaland has been earmarked as the ideal successor.
But the 20-year-old is likely to command a sky-high transfer fee that will certainly leave City needing to smash their £65m club transfer record.
It will therefore be difficult for the Premier League leaders to finance a move for Grealish in the same window, given Villa’s £100m valuation of the attacking midfielder.
That valuation is unlikely to change, as the Birmingham club’s wealthy owners are under no financial obligation to sell, making his signing unlikely for City.
However, Villa could find it harder to hold onto their star man if Dean Smith’s side fail to qualify for Europe this season, as the 25-year-old is keen to experience continental football and hasn’t had the chance so far in his career.
Villa are currently 10th in the Premier League standings, seven points off the top six.
Grealish has enjoyed an impressive campaign, scoring six goals and assisting another 12 in 22 league outings, and he is set to return from injury this weekend.
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