DEAN SMITH has told Manchester United to forget about signing Jack Grealish.
The injury-jinxed Aston Villa boss has been plunged into a full-blown crisis with key players Wesley, Tom Heaton and John McGinn out with long-term injuries.
Manchester United have persistently been linked with Grealish
United are keen to sign Grealish this month but Smith said: “I’m sure Jack is a big target for many teams and you can see why.
“He’s having his record goalscoring season and is a top player.
“But our owners are very ambitious in establishing us as a top Premier League football club and to do that you have to keep your best players. So we’ll be keeping hold of Jack Grealish.
“People can keep looking but they can’t touch.”
Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud is Smith’s top target, with Villa also keen on his fellow out-of-favour team-mate Michy Batshuayi.
Villa forward Wesley will be missing for the rest of the seasonCredit: PA:Press Association
Asked if he could categorically guarantee Grealish would still be a Villa player at the end of the January transfer window, no matter what offers came in for him, Smith couldn’t have been any clearer.
He added: “I don’t believe there have been any enquiries and I’m sure if we did they would get a short-shrift reply.
“He’ll still be here at the end of the window without a shadow of a doubt.
“We want to keep our best players and he’s obviously proving he’s one of the best players in the Premier League.”
Smith is set for crisis talks with Villa chief executive Christian Purslow and sporting director Jesus Garcia Pitarch last night, with a replacement striker his main priority.
Although Smith refused to discuss individual targets, Chelsea’s Giroud has the experience Villa require and needs regular first team football to keep his place in France’s European
Championship team this summer and a loan deal could suit all parties.
Smith wants at least one striker in before facing Manchester City in eight days time. However his attempts to find a back-up keeper such as Burnley’s Joe Hart never got off the ground as Villa know a fellow relegation rival will never help them out of their current fix.
Ahead of today’s FA Cup third round trip to Fulham, Smith added: “We’ve got business planned, that’ll continue. We are certainly looking at centre forwards, whether or not it’s one or two I’m not sure as yet.
“However we have not got much time for adaptation. We need pretty much plug-and-play players who can come and play in the Premier League straight away, which narrows down the search.”
Aston Villa looking to bring Daniel Sturridge back to Premier League in January transfer after suspected Wesley ACL injury
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
