‘Man Utd or City should spend £100m on Grealish, not Sancho’ – Phillips expects Aston Villa star to smash transfer record

Manchester rivals United and City should be looking at investing £100 million ($133m) in Jack Grealish rather than Jadon Sancho, says Kevin Phillips, with the Aston Villa playmaker expected to smash the British transfer record at some point in 2021.

Transfer talk continues to rage around the talented England international on the back of his efforts for club and country.

Grealish has shown that he can cut it among the Premier League elite, while also slotting seamlessly into the Three Lions fold under Gareth Southgate.

His obvious qualities continue to attract admiring glances from afar, with United and Tottenham among those to have been heavily linked with a move to acquire his services in the past.

City are said to have come into that mix, with Pep Guardiola forever in the market for ball-playing options, and it could be that Villa’s resolve to keep their club captain is tested at some point in the near future – despite fresh terms having been agreed over the summer.

Phillips believes Grealish is destined to become the most expensive British player of all-time, with that standing snatched from Gareth Bale, with it easy to argue that he would be a better option for “the wealthiest clubs” than Borussia Dortmund winger Sancho.

Former Villans striker Phillips told Football Insider: “It is crazy - £100 million, but he is a player that is just getting better and better. At times he is theatrical but technically he is an outstanding player. He is one of the best players in the Premier League.

“Would someone be willing to pay £100m? I think they would. I do not think it will happen in January but at some point soon I think someone will.

“He is still young and he could play at the top for five, six, seven years.

"Only the wealthiest clubs could afford to sign him, the likes of United or City. Sancho is worth over £100m and, for me, I would rather have Grealish.

“I cannot see him leaving in January, he is committed to the club this season but I think he will reassess next summer.”

Grealish has continued to catch the eye for Villa in the 2020-21 campaign, with the 25-year-old boasting six goals and as many assists through 10 appearances in all competitions.