Former Villans frontman believes Jack Grealish generating lots of interest can be retained in spite of the intense exit speculation, MySportDab reports.
Aston Villa have been cautioned on how to fend off the interest being shown in Jack Grealish from Manchester United.
Gabriel Agbonlahor is urging the club’s board to turn off their telephones till the next transfer window has closed.
Those at Villa Park can expect to field calls concerning the availability of a prized asset at some stage over the coming months.
Grealish has proven himself to be a succesful Premier League performer, with the 24-year-old revelling in a role as talismanic club captain with the Villans.
His current ability and future potential has attracted lots of admiring glances from afar.
Man United amongst those in the market for added creativity.
A big money offer from Old Trafford would make it tough for Villa to keep the services of a key man.
Agbonlahor believes Grealish could be talked into spending at least one extra season with his boyhood club.
A fellow product of Villa’s academy system informed the Birmingham Mail’s Claret & Blue podcast: “I assume he will stay.
“I know everyone’s 50/50 however I think he will because the club’s built around him.
“Villa will stay up and the club will be built around him again.
“He’s captain and he’s still posting photos of him at the academy when he began when he was six.
“It’s similar to me when I had probabilities to leave but when the club means that much to you, the grass isn’t usually greener.”
Agbonlahor added on the approach Villa needed to take with Grealish;
“If I was the owner of Aston Villa at the moment, I’d simply turn my telephone off!.
If a player who’s so essential to your team like Jack is to Aston Villa to get results then I’m not selling him.
“Selling a player of Jack’s calibre’s going to cost you a great deal more in the long run.
You may also get a lot for him however you’ve got to stay in the Premier League no matter what.
“For me, I’m turning my telephone off in the summer if I’m the Villa owner.
After the transfer window is over, I’d turn it back on so he can’t move.
“That’s what I’d do, fingers crossed he stays, it’s down to him.”
Grealish has taken in 176 appearances for Villa to date scoring 24 goals and is looking to pressure his way into the senior England squad.
In his current surroundings or with the assistance of securing a move elsewhere.
