Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish is on the radar of Gareth Southgate, with the England boss also keeping tabs on Mason Mount at Derby County.

England have been criticised following their fixtures with Spain and Switzerland about a lack of creativity, which Southgate is keen to address after leading England to the World Cup semi-finals in the summer.

Southgate opted to not watch Liverpool take on PSG in the Champions League earlier in the week, instead heading to Villa Park to watch Grealish in action.

Steve Holland, Southgate’s assistant, also spent Tuesday evening watching Championship football, casting his eye over Mount, who impressed in Derby’s goalless draw with Blackburn.

According to the Sun, Southgate will continue to monitor the young duo, who are now firmly on the radar.

A call up to face Spain and Croatia next month is unlikely, but should Grealish or Mount really kick-on, they could be in contention for November’s friendly against the USA.

Grealish, 23, spearheaded Villa’s promotion push last season in the Championship, whilst Mount is enjoying a run of regular appearances on loan at Derby, where the 23-year-old is learning from former Chelsea and England midfielder, Frank Lampard.

Mount has two goals to his name this season in the Championship.

The Verdict

Grealish and Mount are two of English football’s most exciting playmakers, and it is both refreshing and exciting to see Southgate paying close attention to their development.

The duo will be England internationals later in their careers, but they could be fast-tracked due to Southgate’s lack of playmakers.

Although their selection would undoubtedly raise a few eyebrows, integrating them into the squad at an early stage could be a shrewd move.

Thoughts? Let us know!

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