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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Daniel Feliciano

John Barnes tells Man City they made transfer mistake with Jack Grealish

Manchester City should have signed Harry Kane instead of Jack Grealish this summer, according to former Liverpool star John Barnes.

Pep Guardiola's side completed a £100m move for former Aston Villa captain Grealish this summer, smashing the British transfer record in the process while triggering his release clause. The 25-year-old made his debut for the club last week against Leicester in the Community Shield and is expected to be a key player for the club this season.

City are still pursuing a deal for Spurs star Kane, however, with a reported fee of £150m being demanded by the north London side in order to get a deal over the line.

It looks unlikely that City will be able to snare both Kane and Grealish and Barnes believes the current Premier League champions should have prioritised Tottenham talisman.

Speaking to BonusCodeBets, Barnes said: "Harry Kane is much more important to Manchester City than Jack Grealish is. City aren’t lacking creativity, they create endless chances with players like Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne.

“Bringing Grealish in was great, but it was more important they found a centre forward. They need a guaranteed goal scorer, Gabriel Jesus is okay, but he’s no Sergio Aguero — Harry Kane guarantees goals.

“It will be fascinating to see how Grealish fits in this squad. Would Pep have to leave out Phil Foden, Sterling or even Bernardo Silva? City are signing players that match the profile of those they already have.

“Whilst it is good to sign a 26-year-old English player [Grealish] for the future, he doesn’t improve them. Harry Kane does.”

City and Grealish could come up against Kane in their first Premier League game of the season this weekend, when they take on Tottenham on Sunday.

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