---
title: "Exclusive: Michael Ball can envision Grealish-De Bruyne link-up at Manchester City"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/exclusive-michael-ball-can-envision-grealish-de-bruyne-link-up-at-manchester-city-transfers-rumour-e166/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Caleb Sage"
section: "Manchester City Football Club"
published: "2021-07-06T05:00:05Z"
modified: "2021-07-06T05:00:05Z"
---

# Exclusive: Michael Ball can envision Grealish-De Bruyne link-up at Manchester City

**Former Manchester City defender Michael Ball can see Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish and Kevin De Bruyne being deployed together under Pep Guardiola and has compared it to playing FIFA.**

[£58.5m](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/jack-grealish/profil/spieler/203460)-rated Grealish is currently being linked with a move away from Villa Park and the Etihad looks to be the most likely destination if he is to leave this summer.

According to [Sky Sports](https://www.skysports.com/football/news/12040/12341414/jack-grealish-man-city-plan-formal-offer-after-euro-2020-as-aston-villa-open-contract-talks-with-star), City will make a formal offer for the player once Euro 2020 has concluded.

\[freshpress-poll id=”364144″\]

The Premier League champions already have a wealth of attacking options like De Bruyne, but Ball believes Guardiola can make room to get both of them in the team.

When asked by **TT** can he imagine Grealish and De Bruyne playing in the same side, the former City full-back said:

*“It would just be like FIFA, like playing FIFA against my son and getting battered! Yeah, I can see it. There’s no shadow of a doubt Jack’s got the ability to play in that Manchester City side. Pep will demand a lot more from Jack.*

*“With Manchester City, he’s going to have world-class players all around and that will project Jack to be an even better player.”*

It would be interesting to see how Guardiola would fit all of these attacking options into the team.

Given that he could cost £100m, according to [some reports](https://www.espn.co.uk/football/soccer-transfers/story/4419542/manchester-city-close-to-100m-british-record-move-for-jack-grealish-sources), you would expect Grealish to be one of the first names on the teamsheet, though.