Manchester City signed 25-year-old Jack Grealish after meeting Aston Villa’s valuation for the English international player.
The Premier League champions paid $140 million to sign Grealish, who will wear the number 10 shirt at the Etihad. The 10 was previously worn by club legend Sergio Aguero, who left England to join Barcelona this summer.
Grealish signed a six-year contract with City worth $160 million. Now at a $530k weekly wage, the midfielder is the second-highest earner on the City squad, just $7K behind club captain Kevin de Bruyne.
City’s attention now moves to England captain Harry Kane, but talks with his club, Tottenham Hotspur, are complicated. Spurs are holding onto their prized asset, even though Kane has made it clear that he’s willing to join City. The goal-getter missed training on Friday for the fifth consecutive day. Spurs aren’t impressed by his holdout, firmly denying they will agree to Kane leaving.
Grealish: ‘City have a manager considered to be the best in the world’
Having joined Aston Villa at the age of six and growing into a big fan of the organization, Grealish found it hard to leave his boyhood club. The will to challenge for the highest trophies in football and to work under Pep Guardiola helped the player make up his mind.
“City are the best team in the country with a manager considered to be the best in the world – it’s a dream come true to be part of this club,” Grealish told Manchester City’s website. “Pep coming here has taken them to the next level and the football this team plays is the most exciting in Europe. To play for Pep and learn from him is going to be special and it’s something any top footballer would want,” Grealish added.
Director of Football Txiki Begiristain welcomed Grealish to the club. The official believes the English international will settle in rapidly. “I am certain that the fans are going to love seeing him in our team. Pep loves the way he plays, and we all feel he is an ideal fit for Manchester City,” Begiristain said.
Last season, Grealish played 27 games for Aston Villa, scoring seven goals and assisting 10. In total, he has 252 appearances at Villa, netting 37 times and assisting another 48.
Grealish’s $140 million transfer to City broke the record set by Paul Pogba in 2016 with his $130 million move from Juventus to Manchester United. City is at +150 to win the title next season, with Chelsea and Liverpool tied at +500. Manchester United is fourth on the favorites’ charts at +800, with Tottenham at a huge +4,000. Leicester and Arsenal are even further away, at +5,000.