Aston Villa have reportedly made contact with Jack Grealish’s representatives and could be in the running to sign him this summer.
The 30-year-old came through our youth ranks before going on to make 213 appearances for the club at senior level, scoring 32 goals and providing 43 assists before his big-money departure to Manchester City in 2021.
While he has gone on to enjoy plenty of success in Manchester, he has since been loaned out to Everton last season where he scored twice and added six assists in 22 outings before his season was cut short by injury.
READ MORE: Villa’s early-season woes return after chastening Brighton defeat
WATCH: How shambolic Villa defending led to heavy Brighton defeatÂ
Subscribe to Talk Villa+ below for ad-free weekly newsletters, exclusive articles and much more sent directly to you. The TalkVilla podcast is also now available, have a listen, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or YouTube. UTV!
Now, according to Fabrizio Romano, Villa and Everton have both made contact with his camp over a potential move this summer, and so we await further updates on whether or not talks are progressing and what his eventual decision will be.
While on one hand, the sentimental factor of this swoop would be a real boost for all concerned despite some of the feeling towards Grealish from some quarters of the fanbase following his exit, it’s questionable as to what level he can still perform at and if it’s enough to make this possible move worthwhile.
Injuries have certainly been an issue, but perhaps a return to his boyhood club is what he needs at this stage of his career to rediscover his top form and play well consistently.
It’s been a hectic summer for Villa already with countless incomings and outgoings as Unai Emery rebuilds his squad following the success of last season, and while we’ve already bolstered our attack with Johan Manzambi, Alejandro Garnacho and Nicolas Jackson is expected to follow soon, it seems as though our work in that department isn’t finished.
Naturally, it’s still far too early to tell if Grealish returning could materialise in the next week or so as there is no suggestion in the report above that we’re making progress, but with Villa still needing to prioritise a defensive signing to fill the void left behind by Ezri Konsa while the wait continues for the unveiling of Leon Goretzka to strengthen our midfield, it promises to be a very busy end to the summer transfer window for the club.
