Jack Grealish is on the verge of joining Manchester City from Aston Villa for a fee that will shatter the British transfer record, with the Premier League champions prepared to pay £100m for the England international. The deal would surpass the previous record of £85m paid by Real Madrid for Gareth Bale in 2013.
City, backed by their wealthy owners, are in the rare position of not needing to worry about player depreciation or sell-on value, allowing them to invest heavily in a 25-year-old in his prime. Grealish impressed at Euro 2020, often making an impact from the bench for Gareth Southgate's side.
Big-money British signings have had mixed fortunes in the past. Andy Carroll, who joined Liverpool for £35m in 2011, scored only 11 goals before being sold at a £20m loss. Similarly, Danny Drinkwater moved to Chelsea for £35m in 2017 but barely featured and was eventually loaned out. In contrast, Kyle Walker has won multiple trophies since his £50m transfer to City in 2017, while John Stones has developed into a reliable centre-back after a similar fee in 2016.
Raheem Sterling proved his worth after a controversial £49m move from Liverpool in 2015, winning three Premier League titles. Ben Chilwell's £45m switch to Chelsea in 2020 also paid off, as he played a key role in their Champions League victory. However, Manchester United are still awaiting the best from Aaron Wan-Bissaka after his £50m transfer in 2019.
Grealish's record fee will bring enormous expectations, and City fans will hope he can emulate the successes rather than the flops of previous British record signings.
