The former Aston Villa captain has completed a £100 million move to join Pep Guardiola’s side but will he prove value for money on FPL?
Jack Grealish finally completed his £100 million ($139m) transfer to Manchester City on August 5, with Pep Guardiola adding the 25-year-old to his incredible pool of attacking players at the Etihad Stadium.
The England international’s creativity will add another dimension to the Premier League champions and fans will undoubtedly be excited to see what sort of impact he will have in the 2021-22 campaign.
But what does it mean for Fantasy Premier League bosses? Is Grealish worth bringing in or are there better alternatives available? Goal looks at the pros and cons of selecting City’s record signing.
The pros of picking Jack Grealish
Had Grealish completed his move to Manchester City before the FPL price reveal for the 2021-22 season, it’s very unlikely he would’ve been valued at £8m.
And it’s that price tag which could tempt FPL bosses in, with the former Aston Villa skipper, who scored 135 points last season, being cheaper than the likes of Jadon Sancho (£9.5m), Marcus Rashford (£9.5m) and Kai Havertz (£8.5m).
Indeed, with six goals and 12 assists – the same as Kevin De Bruyne (£12m) and just two less than Bruno Fernandes (£12m) – for Villa last season, he could be looking at a much bigger tally come the end of the 2021-22 campaign as he lines up for Guardiola’s Premier League champions.
The link-up with Belgium international De Bruyne could be particularly fruitful too, with Grealish’s ability to win fouls in attacking areas – he was the Premier League’s most-fouled player in the final third in the last two seasons – increasing the likelihood of dead-ball-specialist De Bruyne scoring more from free-kicks.
The 25-year-old’s versatility also means that, as well as being able to play as part of a midfield three, he can also be utilised in a position on the left wing cutting in on his right foot, where he has been particularly devastating for Villa.
The cons of picking Jack Grealish
Rotation at Man City. Guardiola has something of an embarrassment of riches when it comes to his attacking options for the upcoming season.
On the left, the Catalan can pick from the likes of Raheem Sterling (£11m) and Phil Foden (£8m), as well as Grealish added to the mix, while on the right he’s got Riyad Mahrez (£9m), Ferran Torres (£7m) and Bernardo Silva (£7m).
According to the Athletic, Guardiola sees Grealish primarily featuring as a No.8 for City, where he’ll be competing with Ilkay Gundogan (£7.5m), whose incredible form last season saw him come out as the club’s top scorer with 13 goals.
As with any City player you pick on FPL – aside from perhaps Ederson (£6m), Ruben Dias (£6m) and De Bruyne – there is always the likelihood of Guardiola changing his team from week to week, and Grealish will undoubtedly play less than he would’ve done at Villa.
There is also the question of the added expectation of playing for City, whose fans demand them to win every game and compete on multiple trophy fronts.
Will Grealish, who has been Villa’s talisman and poster boy, quickly settle in alongside City’s wealth of world-class attacking players or will it take time for him to get used to the demands of playing for a Guardiola team?
What are Jack Grealish’s Fantasy Premier League stats?
| Season | Goals | Assists | FPL Bonus Pts | Total FPL Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-21 | 6 | 12 | 13 | 135pts |
| 2019-20 | 8 | 7 | 19 | 149pts |
| 2015-16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 28pts |
| 2014-15 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 31pts |
The verdict
At £8m, Grealish looks a hugely attractive proposition when putting your team together and he’s undoubtedly up there with the top creative talents in England’s top-flight league.
If you have the cash available then Grealish is definitely and advisable pick, especially when compared to players at a similar price range.
There is a word of warning, however, as Guardiola is famous for rotation and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the 25-year-old eased in, especially at the start of his City career, as he gets used to his new environment.
Would we pick him ahead of Fernandes, Mohamed Salah (£12.5m) and De Bruyne? Almost certainly not. But if you’re willing to accept the odd blank here and there, Grealish will still prove a valuable FPL asset.
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