Aston Villa boss Dean Smith to replace Jack Grealish with depth
Dean Smith insists he will not aim to replace Jack Grealish at Villa, but instead look to reinvest the funds to add more depth to his squad.
The captain made a £100million move to Manchester City this week , leaving behind his boyhood club.
Villa have already spent wisely this summer, with Leon Bailey and Danny Ings the latest captures, and Smith is keen to add more.
Smith said: “He’s going into the 26th year of his life and he understands it’s a short career in football. He wants to go and play at the top level. He’s had a taste of it with the Euros.
“For someone to come through our academy and become the British record transfer, just shows what an exceptional talent Jack has been and will be. But we move on. I’m not looking to replace Jack because he’s such a unique player and character, but my job is to use the funds to make us a better team, bringing in more quality players and give us more depth as a team – and not be as reliant on one player.”
Meanwhile, promising youngster Louie Barry has joined Ipswich Town on a season-long loan. The former Albion starlet joined Villa from Barcelona in January 2020.
