Rio Ferdinand wants Jack Grealish at Manchester United and ‘doesn’t care’ if Paul Pogba leaves

The former Red Devil is keen for the Aston Villa star to move to Old Trafford

(POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Rio Ferdinand is hoping Manchester United sign Jack Grealish from Aston Villa and insists he “doesn’t care” if Paul Pogba leaves.

The former Red Devil has been discussing the England international’s form and future following an outstanding run of performances over the last few seasons for club and country.

And Ferdinand admits he has a soft spot for Grealish and would like to see him play for United in the future.

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“I don’t care if Pogba goes or not, Grealish is my man,” Ferdinand said on Rio Ferdinand Presents FIVE. “I have known him since he was in his early teens. He came to my restaurant and I got him and his dad some tickets for a game.

“He’s a great kid with a great family. He loves his football. What the young kids don’t see with Jack Grealish is the hunger and hard work behind closed doors - the attention to detail and the way he trains. He has changed his regime and looked at himself and asked what he can do better.

“I have heard from a lot of people that he is diligent in all the work he does off the pitch to get to where he is now. You are seeing results week in and week out.

“He is one of those players that has looked at himself in the summer and thought, 'Yes, I’ve done well last season, I’ve signed a new deal at my boyhood club, and I am going to go again'.

“If I am a manager of a top team in England, a top three or four team, then I would not allow him to stay there, I would go and take him.”

While Ferdinand added that Grealish would be among the toughest players to defend against and even compared his style to Lionel Messi.

Grealish has been excellent for Villa in recent seasons (POOL/AFP)

“As a defender, as much as pace behind you frightens you, it is also the player who can find pockets of space, turn and run at you,” he said.

“[Pablo] Aimar who played at Valencia and Argentina, [Ariel] Ortega, players like that who could run with it and dribble - Ronaldinho and Messi. I am not saying he is in that class yet, but that style of player who runs at you. He is a fantastic player.

“When you talk about big numbers like £100 million or whatever price tag you want to mention, it is not about how good they look, it is about are they putting up the numbers to justify that price tag? 12 in his last 14 games suggests he is and that he is going to go for big, big dough.”