Chelsea have "concrete interest" in Aston Villa's Jack Grealish
The rumours of Chelsea's interest in the England international are starting to bubble up
*CONTRIBUTOR POST BY OLIVER McCABE (@OliverMcCabe_)
After an eventful window of expensive incomings last summer, Chelsea are believed to be prepared to spend big on recruitment once again.
Their constant links with Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland - who would likely command one of the largest transfer fees ever seen in world football - are an indication of their high ambitions to challenge for the Premier League title even after their recent Champions League triumph.
On top of this, the Blues are also being linked to centre-backs, holding midfielders and are widely believed to be expressing a strong interest in Inter Milan's Achraf Hakimi, who could play in a wing-back role if Thomas Tuchel continues using the 3-4-3 formation that has drastically improved Chelsea's defensive record since his arrival in January.
However, their need for players in several other positions has seemingly not deterred owner Roman Abramovich, who - according to a report from Footy Insider - “has made it clear to the hierarchy he will bankroll top-tier signings” in attacking areas as well, including Jack Grealish.
*Note from Simon Phillips - “I have had it confirmed by reliable sources that Chelsea DO hold an interest in Jack Grealish. However, it remains just interest at the moment with no movements made, and it is quite normal for all the top clubs to be keeping a close eye on Grealish this summer.”
The report claims that Chelsea have a “concrete interest” in signing Aston Villa's star man, who can play in an advanced midfield role or out wide in attack.
Grealish will know that a move to Stamford Bridge would see him play alongside international teammate Mason Mount, who featured in the same attack together for the end of England's 0-0 draw with Scotland on Friday, and who he will be replacing in tonight's clash against Czech Republic with Mount being forced to isolate after coming into contact with Billy Gilmour who has since tested positive for Covid-19.
Manchester City are also reportedly showing keen interest in Grealish, and are in a similar situation to Chelsea in that they are targeting a world-class striker to spearhead their attack which will certainly take up a large proportion of their transfer budget.
There have been suggestions that they could rival Chelsea in their approach for Haaland, whose father played for the Manchester side, and reliable transfer insider Fabrizio Romano revealed yesterday that they have had a bid in excess of £100m for Harry Kane rejected by Tottenham.
Therefore, although both clubs could surely afford to sign Grealish, their prioritisation of other positions may leave them without the funds left over to do so in this window.
Aston Villa also have no particular need to sell their captain since Grealish signed a new 5-year deal last September, but the completion of the signing of Emiliano Buendia from Norwich plus their interest in Arsenal's Emile Smith-Rowe implies that they may be preparing replacements for the 25-year-old if he were to leave.
Chelsea's approach to reinforcing their already-stacked attacking midfield and wing positions this summer will be interesting to watch, however there is nothing to suggest right now that they would prioritise this over other areas.
Written by Oliver McCabe (@OliverMcCabe_)