Manchester City’s star signing Jack Grealish revealed how he almost joined arch-rivals Manchester United in 2020. The English midfield maestro joined Manchester City this summer for a hefty £100million as the Citizens activated his release clause.
The former Aston Villa star has instantly accommodated himself in the starting eleven and has already made 15 appearances for the reigning Premier League winners this season. His move from Aston Villa to Manchester City this summer broke all the past records as Grealish became the most expensive English player ever.
However, now the 26-year-old flashy midfielder reveals how he was almost on the verge of joining their city rivals Manchester United. He highlighted how United were keeping close tabs on him and they were heavily interested to sign him. But nothing came through as Grealish decided to sign a new contract with the Villans.
“I was really close to going [to Manchester United], but nothing happened in the end. We played United in a pre-season game on Saturday and I wasn’t supposed to play in a cup game at Burton [in September]. But after the United game I said to [Aston Villa CEO Christian] Purslow and my agent ‘if I’m not leaving, I’ll sign my new contract,” Grealish told in an interaction with The Telegraph.
The England international who made a mark in the Three Lions’ journey to the European Championships finals highlighted how he signed a new contract with Aston Villa. He wanted the club to get a good return out of him as he knew that he is very close to moving away especially with Manchester United around the corner.
“I went in with my dog on Tuesday morning, signed the deal, and played later that day. We all agreed on the clause and if any team hit that, it’s a win-win because it means I’ve had an unbelievable season and Villa got £100 million, ” Grealish shared.
Former Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is a big fan of Jack Grealish. The Norwegian tactician was very eager to rope in the Englishman last summer but Aston Villa’s high asking price became a major point of concern for the Red Devils.
However now Grealish has joined Manchester City and is solely focused on helping Pep Guardiola’s men achieve greater heights in the Premier League and also in Europe.
