Manchester City will subsidise an exit for Jack Grealish, according to Stefan Borson, a former financial adviser to the Premier League club.
Borson told Football Insider: “I think you have to look at what is done on player sales before knowing whether they are done in terms of players coming in.
“They have got big challenges on players going out. The big one, of course, is Grealish, who does appear to be surplus requirements, not just would quite like him to go.
“I think he is out and at a sort of bomb-squad level, which City haven’t really done before, but I think City have drawn a line under the Grealish situation.
“I think whatever happens, Grealish will leave. The question is, what can they get for him? I think the reality is it’s a case of how much City are prepared to subsidise the deal. I don’t think anybody’s going to pay a fee.
“This is assuming he won’t go to Saudi Arabia. If he goes to Saudi Arabia, then obviously there may well be a deal to be done.
“But I think absent of that, it’s a case of what percentage are City prepared to pay of his wages, and I think it starts at 50 per cent probably. I think if City are unlucky, they may even have to pay 75 per cent. It just depends who bites.
“I think the clubs that are most likely would be that kind of mid-tier Premier League set, so West Ham, Everton and potentially Aston Villa. It depends where Villa are in there. I think they need to sell as well, and I think they’ve got some concerns about wage bill.
“Obviously, it depends on the deal that’s available. But I think there will be a fair bit of interest as we get into late August for Grealish.
“But it will all be on a subsidised basis, so anywhere you go it’s bad for City.â€