Grealish Next Club Betting: Man Utd still favourites, Chelsea could challenge

Jack Grealish Next Club Betting: Man Utd still favourites, Chelsea could challenge

Having been involved in more controversy this week, will Jack Grealish still be wanted by the Premier League elite? Dan Fitch looks at the main contenders to sign the Aston Villa playmaker...

Jack Grealish has never been in better form and looked a sure thing to secure a big money transfer this summer, but this has been put under threat by his irresponsible antics.

The Aston Villa midfielder looked destined for greatness as a teenager. You would have thought that a player with such talent might have been snapped up when Villa were relegated in 2016, but Premier League clubs were seemingly put off by his off-field behaviour at the time.

Grealish appeared to have settled down, both on and off the pitch. As Aston Villa's captain and talisman, he has shone since the club returned to the top flight. Yet this week he damaged his improved reputation by ignoring the government lockdown to go out socialising, which was exposed when he crashed his Range Rover into two parked cars.

Since the incident was revealed, the PR machine went into overdrive. He quickly released a video issuing an apology, while Aston Villa stated that they would be fining the player and giving the money to a local hospital charity.

With Grealish having been set to make a move to a top club and Villa looking to recoup as large a fee as possible, they will hope that interested parties are not put off.

Manchester United remain odds-on favourites to sign the playmaker

It's Manchester United that have been most closely linked with a move for Grealish and they remain the favourites to sign the player at 4/6.

That could be a little short considering that this disciplinary issue will surely cause some doubt at Old Trafford, but nevertheless United are worthy favourites. Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata and Paul Pogba will all see their contracts expire in 2021 and the club are likely to try to sell all of them this summer. That would leave their new signing Bruno Fernandes as Manchester United's only senior attacking midfielder, so reinforcements are needed.

Price too short for Spurs, but Grealish would fit in at Chelsea

Tottenham reportedly came close to signing Grealish for just £6m when Aston Villa were in financial difficulties in 2018, only to try to drive the price down further. Before a deal could be concluded, Aston Villa were bought by the billionaires Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens, and Grealish's new price tag scared off Spurs.

The Londoners are the joint second favourites to sign Grealish at 10/1, but if they wouldn't pay £6m, it's hard to see them paying at least 10 times that.

Also at 10/1 are Chelsea and they appear to have more of a realistic chance. There will be money to spend after two transfer windows in which they were banned from signing players and Grealish fits the mould of the type of young, English player that Frank Lampard is rebuilding his team with.

Could Manchester City rival United for Grealish?

Leicester are the unlikely fourth favourites at 12/1. Grealish would smash their current transfer record and the only way it would seem possible is if the Foxes were to sell their own midfield playmaker James Maddison.

Manchester City could be more serious rivals to United at 14/1. Having been given a two-year ban from European football by UEFA, it would be no surprise if some of their biggest stars opted to leave, creating an opening for the club to sign replacements.

Liverpool were linked heavily with Grealish earlier on in the season, but their interest seems to have cooled and they are now out at 25/1. At 33/1, Arsenal and Everton are rated as the outsiders among Premier League clubs.