Jack Grealish could find himself playing as a false nine if Pep Guardiola decides to sign him for Manchester City, according to former Ireland international David Meyler.
Grealish has been a vital part of Aston Villa’s attack since returning from his loan spell at Notts County in 2014, however many believe that he has too much potential to stay at Villa.
With the rumours of Harry Kane’s potential move to City dying down, they have been replaced by talk of Grealish heading to the sky blues.
Meyler believes that the move would be a good one for both Guardiola’s side and the 25-year-old, and could even benefit Villa if the deal is done for the right price.
However, if Grealish does head to Manchester, the question of what role he plays under Guardiola is the one that many want answered. Speaking on Monday’s OTB AM, Meyler discussed the roles that Grealish could play for City.
“I have had a long think about this,” Meyler said. “If City do get Grealish, where would he play?
“Naturally he has played off the left for large chunks of the season, and if he goes off the left, where does [Raheem] Sterling go?
“I could potentially see him going to Manchester City and actually playing as the nine; being that one like we have seen [Kevin] de Bruyne doing and [Phil] Foden doing.
“Pep is the master at just tweaking teams and getting players to play in different positions.”
Meyler believes that Grealish can add to the varied attack that City already have, and could be used in a slightly less traditional number nine role.
“I could almost see him playing nine, but a false nine,” Meyler said. “We can add pace to the side, whether it be [Riyad] Mahrez, Bernardo [Silva] or Sterling, and then you can play Grealish where he can drop deep, get on the ball and try and create.
“That would be my one. Then again, he might look at him and say play wide left where he has played and he can drift in off the wing.”
Grealish to City could still benefit Villa
While the deal still needs to be done, Meyler believes that, if it is doen for the right price, Aston Villa could benefit from selling Grealish to City now.
“There have been talks of Raheem Stirling being offered the Tottenham part of the Harry Kane deal, we don’t know how much of this is true,” Meyler said.
“I think if they do cough up £100 million for him, I think Aston Villa should probably sell, they are not going to get a better offer for him.
“Yes, he is their talisman, he is their main man, their captain, but if they invest that £100 millions wisely, they can probably sign two or three players.”
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
