Jack Grealish should reject a transfer to Manchester United and set his sights on a club like Liverpool, where he can be Jurgen Klopp’s ‘missing piece’.
That’s the view of former Aston Villa team-mate Gabriel Agbonlahor, who thinks Grealish would ‘walk into any team in the world’ including the likes of Barcelona and Juventus.
Grealish has been widely tipped to leave his boyhood club at the end of the season, having scored seven goals and provided six assists in the Premier League for relegation-threatened Villa.
Should Dean Smith’s team go down, Villa will be forced to offload their prized asset due to Financial Fair Play restrictions but a bidding war is likely to break out even if Grealish keeps the Villans up.
While United are the team who have been strongest linked with the 24-year-old, Agbonlahor has advised his former team-mate to turn down United and instead look to a side like Klopp’s Premier League leaders – although he hopes Villa can keep hold of him.
‘I am not just saying this as I have played with him, but I honestly think he is the best attacking midfield option that England have got at this current time,’ Agbonlahor told Bet O’Clock.
‘That is why, when people say Grealish to Manchester United, he could do so much better than that, and he could walk into any team in the world, even Barcelona or Juventus.
‘For where Manchester United are now, he could go to better teams around the world, so he doesn’t need to limit himself to just United and focus on teams who are playing in the Champions League.
‘He is the missing piece that a lot of teams need right now. I watch Liverpool, and they are an outstanding team, but they are missing a player like him, Chelsea can’t break anyone down and are missing someone like Jack. Mason Mount is not on the same level as Grealish.
‘There are a lot of teams that he would walk into, so it is down to Villa to have the resolve to reject bids and for them to grow as a club because they aren’t a team that should be fighting with relegation.
‘They will stay up this season and will start to climb the table next year. The club will have to work out how much they actually value him at and how much it is worth to move him on. Unless a crazy high bid comes in for him, I would just turn the phones off and reject every bid that comes in for Jack.’
