It wasn't just Manchester City unveiling their new kit on Wednesday, as Aston Villa also released their home jersey for the 2021/22 season.
Normally, a rival team unveiling a new shirt would barely register on the minds of City fans, however this is not a normal summer. City are interested in signing Villa captain Jack Grealish, so it was noticeable to see the England international at the centre of their promotional campaign for the new strip.
Grealish was pictured with his feet up at Villa park modelling their new kit, and in a promotional video declared his love for his hometown club.
He is heard saying: "Everyone knows what claret and blue means to me, I've been a Villa boy all my life, and I love playing for this club."
That is no surprise, given Grealish's support of Villa and his status as captain. If anything, Grealish's absence from the marketing material would have been more noteable than his inclusion.
That hasn't stopped fans on Twitter from jumping to conclusions, though, with Villa fans getting hopeful that their talisman will stay.
City fans, on the other hand, feel slightly less confident of his signing, but believed that the video and pictures were shot before Grealish's involvement at Euro 2020 so might have been taken weeks ago.
As the bookmakers move City into odds-on favourites to sign Grealish, this saga is far from over, despite Villa's unveiling today.
Do you want an exclusive pre-season City preview - both in your inbox and through your letterbox? Head over here to find out more and secure your copy.
