Man City planning for Leao and Grealish swap

According to Italian news outfit CalcioMercatoWeb, Premier League giants Manchester City are in discussions with AC Milan over a possible swap between Rafael Leao and Jack Grealish.

Leao is one of the hottest properties in Europe this season, as several big clubs are circling around him. Current Premier League champions Man City are one of them.

Despite the success that Erling Haaland has delivered in front of goal after switching Dortmund for Manchester last summer, Pep Guardiola is looking to further strengthen his frontline.

As per the report, Man City are targeting a move for Leao and are ready to use Grealish as bait to secure a swap deal.

The Milan man could be an exceptional addition to the City squad due to his end product as well as versatility. Leao has scored 34 goals and assisted 34 times for his current employers in 135 appearances.

He is also adept at playing on the left wing as well as a central striker. The Portuguese international’s current contract expires in the summer of 2024, which makes him an even more attractive proposition.

The need to bolster the attacking ranks seems rational. While Riyad Mahrez is on the wrong side of 30, Jack Grealish has failed to impress on a regular basis since signing for the club in 2021 in a record-breaking deal.

The former Aston Villa man has just started six times for the Blues this term. His scoring charts also don’t look pretty as Grealish has found the net only seven times since joining Guardiola’s men.

While the Rossoneri would be interested in bringing in the England international regardless, his salary demands might prove a stumbling block. According to reports, the Englishman pockets around £270,000 per week at the Etihad Stadium, which is a number only few clubs in the world can afford.

A straight swap would definitely not appeal to the Italian side. Leao is valued at £75m by Transfermarkt and Grealish’s stock has certainly fallen since moving to City. Therefore, if Man City are determined to land Leao, they will have to be prepared to pay Milan cash in addition to Grealish.

In the end, every player has a price. Especially the one whose contract expires within 18 months.