Jack Grealish Release Clause
There’s been a lot of publicity this week regarding Jack Grealish’s new five-year contract at Aston Villa, which has helped kept the limelight off Steve Bruce’s impressing pressurised situation.
With the player himself admitting he was “95% sure” he was leaving the club in the summer window, there’s no doubt that the new contract, as well as giving him a substantial pay-rise (thought to be £45k-a-week), would certainly contain a clause or two.
The Times today reported that there is a significant release clause of £45m, which will allow him to leave the club, if it is met in future transfer windows.
Release Clause Ghost
The timing of the new contract brings back memories of 25th January 2015, when a new four-and-a-half year contract for Fabian Delph was announced. Then, the knives were very much out for Paul Lambert, who’s struggling Villa team had failed to score in their last five games.
Come the end of this season, if Villa don’t achieve promotion, the equation could be the same for Grealish, as it was for Delph, that despite a long-term contract, the player would leave straight away.
While Delph’s contract seemed like a short-term publicity stunt – with a secret low ball release clause of £8m (or so), meaning he was certain to leave, but at least it would appease the pitchfork brigade in the immediate term and bank Villa some extra pennies when he left – Grealish’s creates a world of intrigue, which we’ll discuss in more detail else where.
One thing is for sure, Grealish will want out if Villa fail to gain promotion this season. The problem is, if the player fails to raise his game to help his boyhood team get promotion, then it may devalue him in the eyes of the kind of club that can afford £45m.
The plot thickens, but at least the focus is very much on this season, with the player now knowing he has to play well both for Villa and his own future.
UTV
Check out the limited edition LUKE x AVFC collection available now for preorder
Despite the threat of ex-communication, I struggle to see how Grealish is worth £45M. I cannot imagine any club considering such an offer for him. The limited interest in the last transfer window was testimony to the gulf between Villa’s valuation of the player and that of the rest of the football world. The lad has obvious talent, but scant end product.
I doubt how he would offer more value than, say, James Maddison, who is now arguably far closer to full international status. Even from within the club, I feel McGinn carries more value in all honesty.
Well selling Grealish maybe even in January might be sensible to avoid the fines bigger than his transfer fee and 12 points deduction. (Unless the deduction is for this season when it won’t matter unless it relegated us.) We have to be practical I doubt we will get away with £100m to rename Villa Park the Addidas stadium or after some fertiliser. There’s enough shit on the pitch aready. But remember as I read the only offer for Grealish was £3m plus Onomah . As it would be worth £3m to keep Onomah away that Spurs valued him at zero! His current form is now worse . No one will pay much for him. The new manager will have many options. One may well be to not include a player that constantly runs across the face of the goal achieving just free kicks. Let’s just hope a new manager is appointed this week giving him time to sort us out and push for a play off place.
MOMS, I have a request. As I’m adverse to another unscrupulous social media company accumulating my entire life’s data, please can you create an option to ask podcast questions on here, as well as on Twitter?
I think we should be thinking about extending Mc Ginn’s contract because at the moment he’s just as good as Jack, well that’s my opinion anyway, but I believe we won’t get anywhere until Bruce is replaced.