Jack Grealish joins Manchester City on six-year deal

Manchester City have officially brought in Jack Grealish on a six-year deal worth reportedly close to £100 million. The England midfielder was previously a star at Aston Villa and will now hope to bring a Premier League and Champions League title to his new club.

Grealish was a target for many of the league’s top clubs over the past few years, but ultimately decided to stick it out at Aston Villa. However, the financial situation of clubs due to pandemic likely played into Villa’s decision to move Grealish while his value was still high.

City’s midfield trio of Grealish, Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne will wreak havoc in the Premier League, although manager Pep Guardiola will likely continue to rotate his players until he finds a top combination. Expect a lot of shuffling to occur in the early days of the league.

Grealish’s signing complicates Manchester City’s obvious desire to add Lionel Messi, who will not be at Barcelona due to economic limitations of the club and La Liga. Messi will likely have to explore options outside of a Premier League move now that City used significant funds to add Grealish. Positional duplicity is also a concern, although Messi represents an upgrade over any player currently on City’s roster.

According to DraftKings Sportsbook, Manchester City is the favorite to win the Premier League at -165. City is also favored to win the Champions League at +300.