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Reigning Premier League champions Manchester City broke the bank to sign Jack Grealish from Aston Villa ahead of the 2021-22 campaign.
The Citizens spent a whopping £100 million to get the Englishman on their books, making him the club’s most expensive acquisition in history.
The left-winger was expected to set the Etihad Stadium alight under the guidance of Pep Guardiola this season. Unfortunately, the 26-year-old is still struggling to find his footing and has only scored thrice in 22 appearances in all competitions.
With their star signing underperforming, many believe City would have been better off splashing the cash on other high-profile players instead of Grealish.
Today, we will entertain that speculative notion and check out a few players who could have fit the Sky Blues like a glove.
Here are five players Manchester City could have signed instead of Jack Grealish in the summer of 2021:
#5 Dusan Vlahovic - Fiorentina
Fiorentina ace Dusan Vlahovic is the talk of the town at the moment and deservedly so. The Serbian international has successfully built on his previous season's Serie A goal tally (21) and looks on course for a record-breaking campaign.
The 21-year-old has 17 goals to his name in the Italian top-flight this season, making him a firm Golden Boot favorite.
The young striker possesses intelligent movement of the ball, knows how to press his opponents, and clearly has a knack for the spectacular. Under Guardiola, Vlahovic could have proven to be a goal-machine for City and might have helped them greatly in the Champions League.
As per rumors, Manchester City are doing their best to bring Vlahovic to the Etihad in the summer. However, given how popular the player has become, it is not likely to be a straightforward endeavor.
#4 Frenkie de Jong - FC Barcelona
The only midfielder on our list today, Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong, would have been an excellent addition to Manchester City in the summer of 2021.
The former Ajax man is everything a coach like Guardiola desires. He reads the game brilliantly, is exceptionally versatile, and most importantly, he knows how to make his team tick.
The Netherlands international is extremely well-liked at Barcelona, which would have made the transfer complicated.
However, given the financial situation the Catalan giants were in last summer, they probably would have let him leave for the right offer.
#3 Lionel Messi - Paris Saint-Germain
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola loves, respects and admires no player more than former Barcelona forward Lionel Messi.
The Spaniard saw the Argentine develop and spread his wings under him at the Camp Nou, emerging as one of the best players in the history of the sport.
Last summer, the Manchester club had the perfect opportunity to give him a new home, but ultimately lost him to Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain.
Thanks to their abysmal financial state, the Blaugrana could not offer Messi a contract extension last summer, which ultimately led to the Argentine’s free transfer.
As per reports, Manchester City were trying hard to get his signature but could not compete with PSG’s astronomical offer.
Had everything fallen into place, no team in the world would have had the firepower to match City punch for punch. If only PSG had not swooped in, England could have stood witness to the iconic Messi-Ronaldo rivalry in the flesh.
#2 Harry Kane - Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur ace Harry Kane was agonizingly close to moving to the Etihad Stadium last summer. The striker was determined to play under former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola and did his best to force his way out.
Manchester City were also in dire need of a forward following Sergio Aguero's move to Barcelona, and could have benefitted from Kane’s sharpness up top.
Unfortunately for both parties, Tottenham Hotspur were not ready to sell their star player to a direct Premier League rival. City came to the Lilywhites with multiple lucrative offers, but were all promptly shot down by Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy.
Since Antonio Conte’s arrival, Kane has had a change of heart and could very well end up signing an extension with the north London club.
If that happens, the England skipper will go completely and hopelessly out of reach for the defending Premier League champions.
#1 Erling Haaland - Borussia Dortmund
Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are easily the two most sought-after young forwards in the world. While the former seems to be on his way to Real Madrid, Erling Haaland remains fair game.
Unfortunately, the race for his signature is rather hotly contested, especially due to his surprisingly low release clause of €75 million.
Getting Haaland for €75 million is nothing short of sensational, but Manchester City do not necessarily need that concession. After failing to lure Kane, they could have gone after the Dortmund ace with all their might last summer and signed the Norwegian goal-machine.
Given the number of creative players Manchester City have, Haaland could have easily emerged as the leading goalscorer across all European leagues.
