Man Utd cool their interest on £80m Grealish to focus on Sancho deal

Manchester United have apparently cooled their interest in signing Jack Grealish, with Aston Villa claimed to want ‘in excess of £80 million’ for the midfielder.

United’s number one target this summer is widely known to be Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho, though the Bundesliga side are playing hardball over their valuation of the England international.

According to Sky Sports, Dortmund are holding out for £109 million for the 20-year-old, and while Manchester United are so far ‘unwilling to go that high’, current discussions between the clubs are said to be centred around the ‘structure’ of the deal.

United were also said to have resurrected their interest in signing Jack Grealish in recent weeks, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer having been heavily reliant on a small group of players following football’s restart; the Norwegian’s side seeming to stumble over the line into the top four after their initially dynamic performances became increasingly laboured in the final few games.

Having helped secure Villa’s place in the Premier League on the last day of the season, Grealish admitted he was ‘not too sure’ about his future. However, his efforts for his boyhood club could now see him priced out of a move to a top side, with the Villains said to have ‘significantly’ hiked up their asking price to over £80 million.

If the second-city club would have fallen out of the league, Grealish was expected to reluctantly hand in a transfer request, however, their last-day survival reduces the need for Dean Smith’s side to cash in on their prized asset and allows them to demand more of a premium.

With Bruno Fernandes having already cemented his place as first choice in the attacking midfield role since his January move, United would be ‘unwilling’ to spend such amounts for what essentially could become a squad player, with Marcus Rashford the first choice on the left side of the Red Devils attack.

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