Aston Villa star Jack Grealish has been warned against sealing a transfer to Manchester United this summer by England legend John Barnes.
The 24-year-old has just been called up to the senior England squad for the first time after a superb season at Villa Park last term, during which he played a starring role in helping his club avoid relegation.
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Grealish’s fine form has seen him linked with Man Utd by The Athletic and others, but it remains to be seen if he’s still a priority for them after the recent signing of a similar style of player in Donny van de Beek.
It may well be that Grealish would harm his England chances by moving to United now, as he’d surely find himself playing less regularly – and that’s what Barnes thinks about the whole saga.
Discussing Grealish’s future, Barnes made it clear that he shouldn’t just jump for a move to Old Trafford as it looks unlikely he’d play much at the moment.
“I don’t think that going to Manchester United or a bigger team will help his England chances at all,” Barnes told BonusCodeBets.co.uk, as quoted by the Metro.
“Manchester United have just signed Donny van de Beek, and he’s not going to play ahead of him, Paul Pogba or Bruno Fernandes, and not playing regularly for Manchester United will not help his England career, but playing every week for Aston Villa where he is being seen and improving is more likely to help his England chances.
“Playing for a bigger club should not mean you have a more likely chance of being in the England team. Being at a bigger club and playing regularly in the Champions League, playing well and scoring goals will help you, but Jack Grealish will not be the number one player at a team like Manchester United.”
MUFC fans might not thank Barnes for his comments, as many of them would surely still welcome this big-name signing.