UNST Greal deal wou superstars to a
DAVID JAMES believes Man City will be firing on all fronts this season if they add Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish to their star-studded ranks.
The Premier League champions are expected to offer around £75million plus add-ons as Pep Guardiola attempts to prise away one of English football’s biggest talents.
Villa have no desire to sell their talisman unless a British record £100m valuation is met – but James reckons the move to City could happen.
The former Villa and City goalkeeper said: “Part of me would love Jack to say, ‘I love Aston Villa and I don’t care if we go back down to the Championship, I’m staying regardless.’
“That’s because there is a certain romance to supporting a club and staying loyal to it through thick and thin.
“On the flip side of that, here is an ambitious young man who is incredibly talented and may be thinking, ‘Where do I go to fulfil my potential?’
“Goodness me, I had enough moves in my career and Jack has proved his class for England at the Euros. I remember seeing him play as a teenager for Villa against Liverpool in the 2015 FA Cup semi-final and thinking then what a special talent he was.
“Villa won 2-1 and Jack produced a performance that made you think, ‘Just wow, this kid’s got something.’
“He’s got better and better and raised his game to the point where he might think that he will get a move that his talent deserves.
“Forgetting the romance of being a one-club man, if he has an opportunity to go to Manchester City then it would be very hard to turn down.”
James believes Grealish, 25, would fit in seamlessly alongside England team-mates Raheem Sterling and Phil Foden, while the incredible prospect of bringing in Tottenham striker Harry
Kane also looms large. The popular ex-England goalkeeper added: “When Pep was managing Barcelona, Spain won the World Cup in 2010 and most of the squad came from Barca.
“When he was managing Bayern Munich, Germany won the World Cup in 2014 and a lot of the national team played in his Bayern side.
“Now, if he was to get Grealish and Kane, and you add in Sterling, Foden, John Stones and Kyle Walker, then all of a sudden England are favourites to win next year’s World Cup.
“But in terms of Manchester City, they are my favourites to win the Premier League anyway, even before they sign Grealish or Kane – or both!
“They could win everything if they sign Grealish.
“City are desperate for the Champions League, it’s their
Holy Grail and I can see them going all the way this season.
“The money they’d need to spend to get Kane would be astronomical
– although I’m
not sure they would need him if Grealish signs.”
James (below) was speaking on behalf of the FA and Nationwide Building Society’s Coin for Respect campaign.
The campaign, launched in March, asked children across the country to design a new coin that can be used as a symbol of respect at the start of every game.
James, 51 today, said: “This is a wonderful project as I’m an artist myself but also because the quality of the communication required to produce the coin.
“When you’re encouraging the conversation of what respect means, between children and parents, there is a mutual educational side to it. “It’s a fantastic learning opportunity.”
The competition shortlist has now been confirmed and is in the public voting stage. To vote for your favourite, visit www. thefa.com/coinforrespect.