Dean Smith has emphatically informed the rest of the Premier League that Aston Villa’s highly sought-after midfielder Jack Grealish is not for sale this month.
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“People can keep looking, but they can’t touch,” the Villa manager said on Friday amid the latest round of rumors linking the 24-year-old playmaker with a move away from Villa Park.
Grealish was heavily linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur in the summer, but Villa were able to keep hold of their homegrown star — with the club since 6 years old — after winning promotion back to the PL. Now, Manchester United are the latest club with a reported interest in the England U-21 international .
Year 1 in the top flight hasn’t exactly gone to plan — Villa sit 17th, one point clear of relegation after 21 games — but Grealish has done his part thus far, racking up six goals and five assists in 19 PL appearances.
“I think he’s a big target for many teams and you can see why. He’s a top player, but as I’ve said before, our owners are very ambitious and want to establish us as a top Premier League club.
“To do that you have to keep your best players, so we’ll be keeping hold of Jack Grealish.”