Aston Villa CEO Christian Purslow reveals how the club lost Jack Grealish to Man City for £100 million [Video]

Aston Villa CEO Christian Purslow has decided to come out to set the records straight after his club’s best player, Jack Grealish left the club to join Manchester City on Thursday, August 5.

When Manchester City announced that they have signed Jack Grealish for a British record transfer fee worth £100 million, most fans of Aston Villa criticized Villa for prioritizing financial profits over the club’s achievement.

While others believed that Grealish who has been at Aston Villa since he was 6-year-old betrayed the club for leaving for City 10 months after he renewed his contract with the club.

For the fans to be cleared that Aston Villa wanted to keep Grealish, the club’s CEO narrated how the 25-year-old attacking midfielder insisted that the club must not stand on his way when a Champions League playing club comes for him.

In five minutes broadcast on Aston Villa TV on Thursday night after Grealish’s deal was confirmed, Christian Purslow said Grealish’s desire to leave the club for a Champions League playing club forced Villa to insert a £100 million release clause on his contract.

The Aston Villa CEO noted that the club decided to make the release clause that high because the club’s board thought no club would want to spend such an amount on Grealish and he would have to stay longer at the club.

However, the England international continued to perform so well that top clubs in Europe continued to come for his signature. According to Purslow, most clubs that came for him earlier could not meet up with the release clause.

To the disappointment of the club, due to the outstanding performance of Grealish in Euro 2020, Manchester City notified Aston Villa that they were willing to trigger the release clause. Also, Grealish told the club that he was interested in the deal.

Aston Villa have already replaced Jack Grealish

Jack Grealish has been the best player at Aston Villa since he gained promotion to the club’s senior team. Before Manchester City took him away on Thursday, the 25-year-old England international played 213 times for Villa in which he scored 32 goals and provided 43 assists.

Due to how great he was at the club, the chief executive of Aston Villa, Christian Purslow confirmed that the club had to sign three new players to replace him.

According to Purslow, Villa signed the three players based on Jack Grealish’s attributes which include skills, assists, and goals.

Purslow said: “Most importantly for our supporters tonight, I want you all to be reassured that the board, Dean Smith, Johan Lange (sporting director), and I knew this day might come and we have planned accordingly.

“It was never our intention to replace Jack with one footballer. Our strategy was to analyze and break down Jack’s key attributes – his creativity, his assists, and goals – and to find these qualities and others in three forward players.

“In signing Emiliano Buendia, Leon Bailey, and Danny Ings, we believe we have achieved this key objective. And in doing so, have also reduced an overdependence on one brilliant footballer.”

He added: “As we near the start of the season, Dean and his coaching staff, our players, and the board are all looking forward to seeing our new team with enthusiasm, with excitement, and with confidence.

“There is real depth and breadth to our squad with these new players and the returning Ashley Young joining last year’s outstanding signings, all of whom have settled brilliantly, as well as some more very high potential academy graduates who are now in and around the first-team squad. They truly are the future.

“On behalf of Nassef (Sawiris), Wes (Edens), and myself, we look forward to seeing you back at Villa Park on August 21, and thank you for your fantastic support.”

Watch the Full address of the Aston Villa CEO, Christian Purslow below:

Aston Villa CEO Christian Purslow updated supporters this evening on the circumstances surrounding the departure of Jack Grealish.

Here is his broadcast on VillaTV. pic.twitter.com/7wqh5Vs64R

— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) August 5, 2021