We assess the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) fallout of Jack Grealish‘s (£8.0m) move from Aston Villa to Manchester City in our latest Premium Members article.
Grealish was City’s first major signing of the summer transfer window on Thursday, joining the reigning champions on a six-year deal for a British record transfer fee of £100m.
The player said upon his move:
“I am incredibly happy to have joined Manchester City. City are the best team in the country with a manager considered to be the best in the world – it’s a dream come true to be part of this club.
Over the past 10 seasons, they have won major trophies consistently. Pep coming here has taken them to the next level and the football this team plays is the most exciting in Europe. To play for Pep and learn from him is going to be special and it’s something any top footballer would want.
The facilities are amazing, and I honestly can’t wait to get started, meet everyone and get playing.”
City’s director of football, Txiki Begiristain, added:
We are absolutely delighted to be able to welcome Jack Grealish to Manchester City. He is an incredible talent.
Jack’s development over the past few seasons both for club and country has been plain for everybody to see. His natural talent together with his commitment to improve as a player, has seen him become one of the most exciting attacking players in world football today.
I am certain that the fans are going to love seeing him in our team. Pep loves the way he plays, and we all feel he is an ideal fit for Manchester City. Our style and his style are a perfect match. I’m excited to watch him over the coming years.
A boyhood Villa fan, Grealish predominantly featured on the left side of attack in a 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 under Dean Smith, but what exactly will he bring to Pep Guardiola’s side, where does he fit in at City and where does it leave Villa’s assets?
We’ll attempt to answer those questions and assess his potential FPL worth in the article below.
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PROFILE AND STATS
Grealish is a player with real natural ability and flair, especially when carrying the ball from deeper areas.
Statistically, he is one of the very best creators in the Premier League.
He was among the top three players for chances created in each of the last two seasons, while his total of 12 assists in 2020/21 was bettered only by Bruno Fernandes (£12.0m).
What’s more, he missed almost three months of the campaign due to a shin injury and hit those numbers while playing for the 11th-best team in the division.
2020/21’s top chance creators
In terms of goals, he is by no means prolific but has improved in recent seasons.
Grealish ended 2020/21 with six Premier League goals, averaging 0.18 expected goals (xG) per 90 minutes, while his total of 37 shots in the box ranked 21st amongst all midfielders.
It’s also worth noting that his dribbling ability often leads to the winning of free-kicks in dangerous areas. In fact, Grealish was the most fouled player in the final third of the pitch in both 2019/20 and 2020/21. That could be good news for Kevin De Bruyne (£12.0m), who is City’s primary set-piece taker.
SEASON-BY-SEASON STATS
| Season | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 2013/14 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014/15 | 24 | 0 | 3 |
| 2015/16 | 21 | 1 | 1 |
| 2016/17 | 33 | 5 | 5 |
| 2017/18 | 31 | 3 | 6 |
| 2018/19 | 35 | 6 | 8 |
| 2019/20 | 41 | 10 | 7 |
| 2020/21 | 27 | 7 | 10 |
Grealish was equally influential for his national team at this summer’s European Championships, grabbing two assists en route to England’s first major international final in 55 years.
