Aston Villa’s failure to get themselves promoted to the Premier League last season almost proved to be catastrophic for them. The Championship outfit were on the verge of administration and manager Steve Bruce had stated earlier this month that they might have to sell some of their key players such as James Chester, Jonathan Kodjia and Jack Grealish to comply with the Financial Fair Play regulations.
Grealish was heavily linked with a move to the ranks of Tottenham Hotspur and owing to the financial troubles that the Villans were neck-deep in, the London based outfit wanted to sign him on the cheap. Spurs were willing to roll out £20million to prise Grealish out of the Villa Park and were happy to go bargain hunting. However, it seems that their idea is set to be a flop show.
As known by all now, Egyptian billionaire Nassef Sawiris and American Wes Edens have pumped in cash to save Aston Villa from administration and the Lions are in no mood to strike Grealish off their books this summer. The new owners have a combined wealth of £40billion, making them the third richest owners in English football.
Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy is renowned for his negotiations skills but his waiting game to get hold of the sensational midfielder might bite the dust. While Levy gambled on driving the price down, the developments at the Championship outfit turned the scenery completely and the new owners are believed to have blocked the sale of Grealish. This would be a major blow to Pochettino’s side.
However, Aston Villa fans and Bruce can breathe a sigh of relief, for Grealish is unarguably one of the hottest properties in English football right now and keeping him in their ranks this season holds a lot of importance. The 22-year-old made 30 appearances in the Championship last season, scoring 3 goals and mustering 6 assists. Besides, he registered an impressive pass completion rate of 85.6% and no wonder Pochettino was keen to make him sign on the dotted line.
Capable of plying his trade as a central attacking midfielder as well as a central midfielder, Grealish is an exceptional talent. He has the ability to drive forward with the ball at his feet and unsettle the opposition’s defensive lines. He might not be a finished product yet but he has age on his side. If Villa manage to retain him, it will be a big boost to their promotion bid this season.