Spurs ready to make offer for Grealish after Villa takeover

JACK GREALISH is set to inform Aston Villa this week that he wants to join Tottenham Hotspur.

Spurs are finally ready to make an opening offer for the 22-yearold, and it is understood Mauricio Pochettino is determined to sign Grealish before the window closes.

Grealish is keen to work with Pochettino, who he believes can help fulfil his ambition of playing for England and has reluctantly decided to leave his boyhood team.

Villa’s financial woes have been eased by last week’s £55m (€61.5m) takeover by billionaires Egyptian Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens from the US, but it is understood Grealish is still intent on going to Spurs.

Fulham have also shown interest in signing him, but the prospect of Champions League football, which Spurs can offer, is a huge incentive.

Villa will demand a fee of more than £30m (€33.5m) for the attacker, but the new owners remain hopeful of persuading him to stay. Steve Bruce, the manager, has admitted the Championship club’s stance on Grealish has changed after the new investment.

“I know from the owners (that) anybody wanting to buy Jack Grealish will not buy him on the cheap,” he said.

PREMIUM

“If we have to sell, then at least we get the right price and can move forward. If anybody is going to buy one of our players now, they are going to have to pay a premium.”

Bruce will meet with Villa’s new owners for talks on the club’s strategy for the future in the next 48 hours. However, his own future remains uncertain, with support on the board for Thierry Henry as a surprise replacement.

Elsewhere, Rangers have signed winger Ryan Kent on loan from Liverpool, the Scottish club have announced.

The 21-year-old will spend the season at Ibrox, where he will work under former Reds captain Steven Gerrard.

He becomes the second Liverpool youngster to move to the Scottish Premiership club this summer after midfielder Ovie Ejaria also joined on loan.

Kent described the decision to move to Glasgow as a “no-brainer”.

“It is a really exciting move for me and I am looking forward to the opportunity,” he told Rangers’ website.

“Everybody knows what a massive club they are with a massive fanbase and when the opportunity came around to join a club of this magnitude, it was a bit of a no-brainer.

“They have got a person in charge now in Steven Gerrard who has played at the highest level and achieved many great things. To learn from him is great.”

Kent, who has England caps at both U-18 and U-20 level, has also had loan spells at Coventry, Barnsley, SC Freiburg and Bristol City.