CITY TARGET GREALISH FOR RECORD £100m FEE
MANCHESTER CITY have made Jack Grealish their No1 midfield target and are prepared to make the Aston Villa star English football’s first £100million player. The Premier League champions will contest their first Champions League final against Chelsea tomorrow but are determined to enhance the quality of an already outstanding squad. Grealish has long been admired by Pep Guardiola and City’s manager wants the 25-year-old at the hub of what he hopes he will become the second great team of his reign. Tottenham striker Harry Kane is also firmly in City’s sights after the England captain revealed his desire to quit north London in search of silverware. Villa rewarded Grealish last September with a lucrative new contract and the club captain still has four years to run on his deal. His importance to Dean Smith’s side is huge and, as such, they would not entertain selling their local hero for anything less than a new British transfer record.
City have not had the most expensive player in the Premier League since they signed Robinho for £32.5m at the start of the Abu Dhabi era in 2008 but there is recognition that recruiting Grealish (pictured) will come at a premium. It is unclear at this stage whether City would pursue a straight cash negotiation or there would be scope for players who have struggled for game time this season to be included in the deal — as they did in 2019 when signing Joao Cancelo from Juventus with Danilo used as a makeweight.
City sold Brazil midfielder Douglas Luiz to Villa two years ago; they have an option to buy him back for £27.5m but that clause expires on June 5 and City have yet to tell Villa what their plans are. Meanwhile, Raheem Sterling expects Manchester City to make history in Porto tomorrow night. Chelsea stand in the way of City lifting a first Champions League title and Guardiola’s team ending the season with a treble.
Sterling says their experience in finals under Guardiola — winning all seven, including two Community Shields — gives them an edge. ‘The only thing that can stop us is ourselves,’ he said. ‘I expect a difficult test but I expect us to pull through. We have an opportunity to create something special. ‘The camp is pretty relaxed. Being in finals before, that only gives you experience. We have to not let the occasion get to us and play our football.’ City flew to Portugal yesterday afternoon and Sterling claimed that two recent defeats against Chelsea count for nothing.
‘This is a Champions League final. On the day, things are a lot different,’ he added. ‘You go in with a clean mindset. Those games go out the window. ‘It is a massive achievement to get here but the club won’t be happy with just that. It is a club that is ambitious and growing all the time so it would be massive for the fans if we get that first Champions League. ‘Once you get a taste of something, you want more. Hopefully, we can make history.’