Speaking recently on The Athletic’s Headline podcast, Gregg Evans discussed Jack Grealish’s new contract at Aston Villa, and shed some light on the finances behind the deal.
Following a season in which Grealish highly impressed for Villa, scoring eight goals – including one on the final day of the season at West Ham which all but secured Villa’s Premier League survival – and providing six assists over his 36 league appearances, averaging a WhoScored match rating of 7.23/10, there had been reports linking the 25-year-old with a move away from Villa over the course of the summer.
However, it was recently announced that the club captain had penned a new five-year deal with Villa, ending any remaining speculation that he would be leaving the club during the summer transfer window.
When discussing the deal on the Headline podcast, Evans provided some more information on the finances behind the new contract for the £36 million-rated winger.
He said: “Grealish will now be Villa’s highest-paid player on a deal worth around £140,000 a week, we’re told. So, it’s a significant increase on what he was earning previously when he just had three years of his deal remaining.
“That’s another statement of intent, because obviously Grealish was the highest-paid player last season, but Villa have brought in a couple of new players on high money this season, so it was always going to be the case that he was offered a new deal on significantly improved terms.”
Can you see Grealish seeing out his new five-year deal at Villa?
Yes, he'll stay for the whole five years
No, he'll probably leave in the next few years
TIF Thoughts…
Considering that Grealish was by far and away Villa’s best performer last season, as well as the fact that the winger recently became an England international, it will hardly be surprising news to fans of the club that he will be their highest earner for the coming season upon signing his new deal.
However, what may be rather more surprising news is that fact that Grealish will be staying with Villa in the first place, after he was linked with the likes of Manchester United and Manchester City over the summer.
This will likely no longer be a concern for Villa fans, though, as tying down their star man to a new deal is, as Evans points out, certainly a statement of intent by the club.