Jack Grealish moving to Tottenham would be a mistake, according to Football Manager

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Despite being one of few Premier League clubs yet to make a summer signing, Tottenham Hotspur have been embroiled in a widely reported pursuit of Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish this summer, with latest reports from Sky Sports suggesting the Lilywhites will have to pay a premium price to land the talented youngster.

Distinguished for its closeness to real life, thanks to its highly detailed database and network of 1,300 worldwide scouts, grown over a period of 25 years, we ran a simulation on the ever-popular Football Manager to see how Grealish would fare if he were to make a summer move to Mauricio Pochettino’s side.

2018/19

Grealish’s maiden season was a slow, if not underwhelming, start to life at White Hart Lane. As the Lilywhites failed to finish inside the Premier League top four, managing fifth place, the 22-year-old made just 22 appearances, 12 coming in the league, during which he scored four goals and recorded a further four assists.

Despite spending the majority of the season operating as a mere squad player – as many will perhaps anticipate ahead of this reported move to North London – his average rating of 6.90, boosted by a number of impressive substitute cameos, earned him a spot in the club’s best XI of the season.

2019/20

Despite his end of term recognition, Grealish’s limited role at Spurs would continue into his second season, with his squad status further compiled by the club’s summer signings of Ross Barkley and Cedric Bakambu. Making just three starts in the League Cup in the first half of the campaign, the now 23-year-old would secure a cut-price January switch to Leicester City.

His move to the King Power brought with it more regular first team football but he was still forced to battle in-form compatriot Demarai Gray for a spot on the left-wing. Nonetheless, his persistence would pay off with his end of season performances earning him a starting place Leicester’s FA Cup final victory over Burnley – and with it a first ever senior winner’s medal.

Take away

If Football Manager’s simulation is anything to go by, Grealish should be warned off a move to Spurs. As many are already predicting, the Aston Villa youngster is likely to struggle for game time given the huge amount of attacking quality already at Pochettino’s disposal.

Instead, the 22-year-old is likely to be better off continuing his development at Villa Park or alternatively seeking a move to a lesser top flight side, where he will be guaranteed first team minutes on a weekly basis. Progression is vital for a player of his age and the only way to achieve this is by playing consistent football.