Liverpool have been urged to enter the transfer race for Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish.
Manchester City appear to be the frontrunners in the pursuit of the 25-year-old’s signature with Pep Guardiola appearing ready to sanction a deal that could be worth up to £100million to take him to the Etihad Stadium.
However, Rio Ferdinand believes the Premier League champions shouldn’t be given a clear run on Grealish and he reckons Liverpool and Chelsea should pursue the player.
The Metro quotes him as telling FIVE YouTube channel : “Does he improve every team in the Premier League? Yes he does, end of argument. He improves every team.
“If I’m Liverpool, I’m going to get him. If I’m Man City, I’m taking him. Because he improves them. He improves Chelsea, 100%. Whoever’s got the money to pay for him, do it.
“If Liverpool bought him it would be a bolt out of the blue. He improves them and then it’s like, ‘wow.’”
City’s neighbours Manchester United who have just sealed a deal for fellow England Euros star Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund have also been linked with Grealish but despite his claims that the player would improve any Premier League team, Ferdinand does not expect his former side to enter the hunt.
He added: “I would love him to join Manchester United, obviously. But I just feel that the position that he plays is stacked.
“Bruno [Fernandes] in a ten, [Marcus] Rashford’s on the left, [Anthony] Martial is there, [Paul] Pogba is there.
“It kind of rules Manchester United out unless they say, ‘no, we’re going to shift a player or two to get him.’ That’s the big decision they have to make.
“There aren’t many breathtaking footballers around anymore who produce breathtaking moments and make you go, ‘wow that was crazy.’ Jack Grealish does that. He’s just a phenomenal player.
“If he’s going to go anywhere, I think it will be Man City. He would add to that team.
“Jack Grealish is driven, he’s been loyal, the fact he stayed at Villa last season is enough for them to clap him out of the stadium.
“He’s paid his dues and done great things, helped get them up and kept them in the Premier League.”
The ECHO understands that Liverpool have no interest in signing Grealish at the current time and they have regularly distanced themselves from claims to the contrary in the past.
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