‘He’s going to be looking’ – Exclusive: Darren Bent makes worrying Aston Villa transfer claim
Darren Bent claims that Aston Villa star Jack Grealish will be considering a January transfer to boost his hopes of playing for England.
The former Villa and England striker, speaking exclusively to Football Insider assistant editor Russell Edge, says that the 24-year-old cannot be playing for a struggling team if he wants to force his way into Gareth Southgate’s plans.
The Three Lions have friendlies lined up against Italy, Denmark, Austria and Romania in 2020, before taking part in the European Championships over the summer.
Bent suggests that Grealish will have one eye on earning a call-up for his country and that he worries that the Villans could lose him next month.
“Jack Grealish is their best player, I’m sure in January he’s going to be looking at the situation,” Bent told Football Insider.
“If he’s got any aspirations of making that European squad next year, he needs to be playing in a team that’s doing well. Him playing in a team that’s fighting relegation is not doing him any favours.
“I do worry about Aston Villa from that perspective as well, so it’s going to be an interesting and awkward second half of the season for them.”
Grealish has been one of the Villans’ top performers since returning to the Premier League, his wonderful strike against Southampton his seventh goal of the season across all competitions.
A former Republic of Ireland youth player, the attacking midfielder has also played seven times for England’s under-21 side, scoring twice.
In other Aston Villa news, Noel Whelan has tipped an in-and-out player to fill the void after a crushing update.