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Aston Villa: Dean Jones discusses Jack Grealish’s ambitions

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Transfer insider Dean Jones has spoken about Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish’s current situation following claims about his future.

The transfer saga surrounding the 25-year-old took a new twist this past weekend, with reports coming out that Manchester City had submitted a £100m bid to try and bring him to the club. Throughout all of this, Aston Villa have been trying their best to try and keep hold of him by offering him a new contract at the club having only signed one last summer.

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Aston Villa's Jack Grealish in action v Brighton & Hove Albion

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Speaking on The Football Terrace’s The Done Deal Show, Jones discussed the current situation, and seemed to question Grealish’s ambition if he decided to stay at Villa Park this summer rather than make the jump to the Etihad Stadium:

“You’d have to ask questions too about Jack Grealish if he was to turn this down. I mean, why would you stay? Take away the emotion for a moment of how much he loves Aston Villa – you’re a professional in your trade, and you get the opportunity to join the best company in any business. You’re offered great money, but more than that, you can literally achieve everything you would want to.

“That’s what Jack Grealish can do here at Man City, and that’s not going to happen at Aston Villa – he probably won’t even be in the Champions League, let alone trying to win it, and he’s not going to be winning the Premier League, and that’s what Grealish can go and do now.

“And that’s why I think Grealish just could not turn down this opportunity. Everyone I’ve already spoken to thinks Grealish will go.”

TIF Thoughts on Dean Jones’ comments about Jack Grealish at Aston Villa…

Will Grealish leave Villa this summer?

Yes

Yes

No

No

Jones’ comments do come across as a little bit harsh, because every footballer is different in their approach to their career.

The best example of someone staying a one-team man despite interest from bigger clubs when it comes to English football is perhaps Matt Le Tissier, who stayed at Southampton despite reported interest from Tottenham. It comes back to the famous quote from Francesco Totti: “Winning one league title at Roma to me is worth winning 10 at Juventus or Real Madrid.”

And with the steps that Villa have made recently and intend to make in the future, what’s to say that they can’t become a team that could play in the Champions League, or win an FA Cup or League Cup at some point in the next five years?

So if Grealish does decide to stay for sentimental reasons, it shouldn’t be held against him – if anything, it should be applauded because it would show his career isn’t totally dominated by greed.

In other news: “The next step” – Journalist drops Aston Villa verdict amid Leon Bailey update

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Freelance sports journalist & broadcaster.