Tottenham now need to double valuation of Grealish to sign Villa star


While interest in Jack Grealish has reportedly mounted over the weekend, any prospective buyers are in a significantly weaker position now than they were a matter of days ago, Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce has confirmed.

The club secured new investment last Friday to ease their growing financial insecurity, with businessmen Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens during a controlling stake in the Midlands outfit.

Villa were facing the fact that they would have to sell key assets to come in line with Financial Fair Play regulations, and star man Grealish’s departure seemed an inevitability at a cut price.

Bruce, however, has now gone on record saying that he has had assurances that any club wanting to buy his best players will have to pay a premium to do so.

"I know for a fact from the owners - new investors - anybody wanting to buy Jack Grealish will not buy him on the cheap”, Bruce is quoted by The Independent. 

It was previously suggested that Tottenham - the front runner for the 22-year-old’s signature - would come in with an opening offer of just £15m, though it is now believed that Villa would demand at least twice that figure to consider selling their academy product.

Grealish was the leading man as the club reached the play-off final and the most likely player to break Fulham’s resolve in the Wembley showcase, earning a man of the match rating of 8.65.

 

 

Over the course of the season, when excluding substitute appearances the playmaker earned the second highest rating in the Championship of those to make at least 20 starts (7.66).