Aston Villa want £80 million for Jack Grealish

Manchester United will have to pay around £80 million for Aston Villa playmaker Jack Grealish, according to a report in the Mirror.

The forward has been linked with United for much of the season, with some reports suggesting that Grealish has already agreed terms should an accord be reached between United and Villa.

Villa are in danger of relegation from the Premier League, and are currently in 19th place. They have a game in hand on the clubs around them and are two points from safety, which might see them survive if the league is decided on a points-per-game basis. However, should they be relegated then, coupled with the impact of coronavirus on football finances and the decrease in broadcast revenue, it had been assumed that the club would raise funds by selling Grealish.

The 24-year-old forward had been expected to break into the England international setup after switching his representation from the Republic of Ireland. He would be unlikely to be ready to stay in the Championship when a move to an established Premier League club is on offer when the transfer window re-opens.

However, the paper reports that Villa are not willing to compromise on their asking price, which is aided by the wealth of their current owners, which means they may not be forced into a firesale of their players and of their most valuable asset.

United are also linked with other players who could play a similar role to Grealish, so they may turn their attention to alternatives if they feel the asking price is too high. They have long been linked with Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho, who is also now an England fixture, and they are also interested in Leicester City’s creative midfielder James Maddison.

There is no certainty over the future of Odion Ighalo, but he appears likely to move back to Shanghai Shenhua at the end of May.