Man Utd swoop for £80m star could hinge on one crucial factor which could see significant drop in value

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The Sky Sports Sunday Supplement panel believe that Man Utd may only make their move for Jack Grealish this summer if Aston Villa are relegated.

With the Premier League season set to restart next week, Villa sit in 19th place with a game in hand as they look to escape the bottom three and move away from the threat of relegation after just one season back in the top flight.

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It would naturally be a huge achievement for the club in general if they were able to stay up as it could give them a platform on which to build and to maintain their top flight status moving forward rather than having to rebuild all over again to try and gain promotion next season.

Further, it’s now suggested that their ability to avoid the drop could also have major implications for Grealish’s future, with Sky Sports noting that the talented playmaker has been a long-time target for Man Utd but any deal could potentially cost £80m.

The Sunday Supplement panel discussed the issue at the weekend, and suggested that the only realistic way a move to Old Trafford materialises this summer is if Villa are relegated.

“Grealish has been a player on their radar for quite some time, I’m not sure United would be spending anything like £80m on Jack Grealish, but particularly if Villa end up going down, in this current market, I don’t think United would be valuing him at anything like £80m for a player who hasn’t played for England or had sustained exposure in the Premier League,” Steve Bates of the Mirror said.

The Telegraph’s Matt Law added: “Villa’s Premier League safety will be key to the Grealish situation. If they go down, I think everybody expects them to have to sell him, and not at the money they’d want to.

“But if they stay up, they have incredibly wealthy owners and if they go down, they’d only have to sell Grealish from an FFP standpoint. Their owners are the fourth or fifth wealthiest in the Premier League. There’s no financial pressure on them to sell him, and if they do stay up, do Manchester United have the stomach to spend £80m on Grealish?”

Time will tell how the situation with Grealish plays out, but ultimately he has shown his quality this season at the highest level and so it’s no surprise that there is said interest from Man Utd.

With nine goals and eight assists in 31 games, the 24-year-old Villa captain will be crucial in their bid to avoid the drop in the coming month or so, and it could ultimately also have a major influence on where his future lies beyond this season too.

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