Man City could land Grealish upgrade in swoop for £85m "artist"
da gbg bet： Manchester City are constantly looking to improve and upgrade their team where possible each year as they chase continued success on the pitch.
da betsson： The Cityzens may have been disappointed with only one major trophy won last season as they lifted the Premier League title but did not win the Champions League or either of the two domestic cups.
Pep Guardiola may, therefore, want to bolster his options across the pitch in order to add more pieces of silverware to the trophy cabinet next campaign.
Brazil international Savinho – a left-footed forward who typically plays on the flank – has arrived on a permanent deal to compete for a spot in the attack.
He may not be the only player to be brought in by the Premier League champions, though, as they could look to make further additions to their forward options.
One player they could look to upgrade on is winger Jack Grealish, who the Cityzens are reportedly willing to cash in on before the end of the window.
Aston Villa are said to be keen on a deal to bring the England international back to Villa Park but City would want to recoup a large portion of the £100m they spent on him.
Man City's interest in Dutch playmaker
Guardiola could land a big upgrade on Grealish by swooping to sign one of the club's reported transfer targets ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
Earlier this summer, TEAMtalk claimed that Paris Saint-Germain starlet Xavi Simons is one of the talented midfielders on Man City's radar this window.
The report stated that the Cityzens are keeping tabs on his situation with the French giants, after a loan spell with RB Leipzig in Germany last season.
It revealed that Bundesliga side Bayern Munich are currently leading the race for Simons, who played against them for Leipzig last term, but no deal has been finalised yet.
TEAMtalk added that PSG are willing to cash in on the attacking midfielder for the right price and it has been reported elsewhere that a fee of £85m would be needed to secure his services on a permanent basis.
It remains to be seen whether or not City will find enough interest, at the price they want, to offload Grealish before the end of the transfer window.
However, even if he stays, Guardiola could land a big upgrade on the former Villans captain by securing a deal to sign Simons from the Ligue 1 champions.
Jack Grealish's struggles for City
Since his £100m move from Aston Villa in the summer of 2021, Grealish has failed to consistently provide quality at the top end of the pitch for City.
Supporters and the club could be forgiven for expecting big things from a player with such a gigantic price tag but the winger has not lived up to the hype yet.
The 28-year-old attacker has produced just 14 goals and 18 assists in 125 games in all competitions for the English giants, which averages out as one direct goal contribution every 3.9 matches.
He managed just three goals and three assists in 26 Premier League outings during his debut campaign with the Cityzens. That was an underwhelming start to life at The Etihad after his blockbuster move from Villa, as he rarely threatened the opposition's goal.
Grealish did follow that up with an improved five goals and seven assists in 28 league games during the 2022/23 season, as City won the title as part of the treble.
23/24 Premier League
Jack Grealish
Appearances
20
Starts
10
Goals
3
Assists
1
Key passes per game
1.4
Dribbles per game
0.9
Stats via Sofascore
However, as you can see in the table above, the English winger struggled again last term with a lack of appearances, starts, goals, and assists in the top-flight.
Overall, Grealish has not done enough in his three seasons with City so far to have justified a £100m price tag, due to his lack of goals and assists as an attacking player, and that is why now could be the right time for them to cash in on him.
Selling the England international would then free up space, and potentially some funds, to splash £85m on Simons, who could be a big upgrade on the current Cityzens flanker.
Why Xavi Simons could be an upgrade on Jack Grealish
The Netherlands international, who England fans will recognise as the player who scored against them in the semi-final at the Euros, is coming off the back of a sublime season with RB Leipzig on loan.
He had enjoyed a terrific campaign with PSV in his home country in 2022/23 with a return of 22 goals and 12 assists in 48 appearances for the Dutch giants.
Just like Grealish, Simons is an attacking midfielder who can operate centrally but is typically deployed on the left flank, cutting inside onto his favoured foot to wreak havoc in the final third.
However, unlike Grealish, the Dutch wizard, who was hailed as "wonderful" and an "artist" by analyst Ben Mattinson, has the quality to make a consistently big impact at the top end of the pitch.
His ability to make things happen as both a scorer and a creator of goals from a left wing position suggests that he could come in and provide far more to City's team than the Englishman.
23/24 season
Xavi Simons (Bundesliga)
Jack Grealish (Premier League)
Appearances
32
20
Goals
8
3
Assists
11
1
Big chances created
14
3
Key passes per game
2.5
1.4
Dribbles completed per game
2.6
0.9
As you can see in the table above, Simons wiped the floor with Grealish's contributions as a scorer, a creator, and a dribbler in the 2023/24 campaign.
These statistics show that the £85m-rated star can chip in with an impressive goal threat whilst also progressing his team up the pitch through dribbles, and then having the composure in dangerous positions to pick the right pass to create a chance for his teammates.
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This is why Guardiola must now swoop to sign the PSG youngster as a big upgrade on Grealish, as he could come in and offer significantly more in the final third – as suggested by his last two seasons for Leipzig and PSV.