Scouting Jack Grealish: Strengths & Weaknesses if Tottenham Hotspur sign the Manchester City star

The current Lilywhites roster have been striving hard to get their hands on a slick, slick wide forward at Hotspur Way. If we take into consideration how Ange Postecoglou’s side has struggled to find solutions when shouldering a coached defensive unit, we come to see how the Australian coach needs someone that has the capacity to force solutions.

As Daniel Levy dips into the availability in the current market, he is met by a familiar face on the target list, Manchester City attacker Jack Grealish.

Now this is not the first time that the Lilywhites club chairman has the name Grealish on his table. Tottenham have an idea about Jack Grealish from long back, given how the 63-year-old tried to sign the England international from Aston Villa.

If we take a walk down memory lane, it was 2018 when the North Londoners failed to get their hands on Jack Grealish after the chiefs at Villa Park stood firm on their refusal to sell at any price after Tottenham made a £25m bid for him. The Villans then set an asking price of £40m for Grealish, but Levy had other plans, and eventually, they went on to miss an amazing talent who went on to win almost everything in club football with Manchester City.

And now, Sours have another opportunity to sign the small shin pad trailblazer at N17. But what does he bring to the current roster at Hotspur Way? Is it ideal for Spurs to put their hands into his signatures now?

Jack Grealish to Tottenham – a SWOT analysis

We will answer all of that in the SWOT analysis below:

Strengths

Everyone who watches the Premier League knows that Jack Grealish had the ability to keep the ball under pressure and is someone who knows how to get out of tight spaces. His capacity to keep the ball kissed to his feet, complemented by his low centre of gravity, makes him a nightmare for his markers, who are forced to choose between allowing Jack to slow down and dictate the tempo of the sequences or win a foul.

Moreover, his versatility will bring a lot of tactical flexibility to the current roster given how Ange Postecoglou can play the Aston Villa academy graduate as a left winger, a wide interior in the 2-3-5 or can even push him as a false 10 in certain setups.

If we see this in a bit of how he has operated at City, you can also have him rotate with Udogie when Tottenham have sustained possession on the left flank, which directly helps to create overloads and draw defenders to him while freeing runners like Son.

And if we are talking Grealish, he brings not just that pedigree of playing in the English top tier for years but also brings that trophy-winning experience that he has gained at Manchester City (which, let’s be honest, no one in the current roster possesses).

Moreover, given how he has featured in high-pressure games over the years for England and City, it will bring an additional large amount of composure to a young Tottenham squad.

Weakness

Well, if I am to state the obvious, the Manchester City forward is reportedly on a £300k/week wage at Etihad Stadium, and for Tottenham to swallow that sort of weekly commitment would end up significantly throwing a sense of disorder into the wage structure that Levy is striving to create.

Now let’s come a bit on the field. While Grealish possesses elite ability with the ball at his feet, he ends up slowing down the game given how he likes to dwell on the ball, which can end up playing a negative role in the verticality that Ange was put into this side. See, the North Londoners thrive on quick transitions and flank overloads, but Grealish prefers to dictate tempo and wait for overlaps.

And then He has a bad history when it comes to injuries (it’s not long injuries but consistent niggles), and I am not really sure how that would translate into a high-intensity system that Ange Postecoglou has deployed at Tottenham.

Opportunities

Adding Grealish into the current roster, Tottenham can add another layer of control to the side, especially in possession-heavy games. He can help Tottenham slow down the tempo of the game and retain the ball while drawing consistent fouls. It is also an opportunity for Grealish to rejuvenate his career, given how his role at City has been reduced. At Tottenham he will be a focal point which can help with restoring his confidence back just like his days at Villa Park.

Threats

Pouring significant money into one player can push Tottenham from addressing concerns in other positions, which can end up leaving the North Londoners a bit light and under quality in a few roles.

And given where City are, they could end up demanding players like Maddison in a swap deal or maybe push an inflated price for his signature, which can force the North Londoners into a compromise in terms of negotiations.

More Tottenham Hotspur News:

• TTLB Opinion: Is Postecoglou the reason behind Maddison’s underwhelming season at Tottenham?
• TTLB Opinion: Tottenham target Branthwaite and Guehi – but who makes more sense?
• TTLB Opinion: Should Tottenham be worried about Van de Ven to Real Madrid or is it all agent talks?

Grealish to N17 – Author Opinion

I think signing Grealish is more like a double-edged sword, given how you gain a technically gifted and experienced playmaker in the roster with the ability to control gamesbut on the other hand, you risk destabilising the balance of the squad and maybe end up overspending. I think Tottenham should only pursue a move for Grealish if any transfer is financially manageable, or this could end up being a luxury transfer in a summer that needs practicality.