Reports in the United Kingdom suggest Manchester City will complete a record-breaking, £100million deal for Jack Grealish after the England star has finished representing his country at Euro 2020.
The UK Daily mail reports that talks between the two clubs have progressed rapidly and City, who still want to sign Harry Kane from Tottenham this summer, have now agreed a huge deal.
Grealish is currently away with Gareth Southgate’s squad and recently starred for the Three Lions in their 1-0 win over Czech Republic on Tuesday.
He looks certain to have played his last game for boyhood club Villa, who have reluctantly agreed to let him go in the Premier League’s biggest ever transfer.
The 25-year-old has four years left on his Villa contract and has spent his entire career at the Midlands club, who have already signed Emi Buendia from Norwich and seen a £25m bid rejected for Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe.
Villa completed the free transfer of former player Ashley Young, who can also play in a wide left role similar to Grealish’s at the club, after the 35-year-old chose to leave Inter Milan having just led them to Serie A.
Grealish has attracted interest from a number of clubs in recent years, with Manchester United and Tottenham among those keen to sign him.
But City have won the race for the playmaker, agreeing to make him the most expensive player in British football history as part of another huge summer rebuild under Guardiola.
City’s summer spending will not end there, however, with Spurs talisman Kane still a major target for the Premier League champions.
City have already begun their pursuit of Kane and bid £100m for the Tottenham striker earlier this week, though Spurs chairman Daniel Levy values the forward at £150m.
The 27-year-old striker told managerless Tottenham last month that he wants a move to a club that can give him realistic chances of winning the Premier League and Champions League.
As a result of Grealish and Kane’s potential arrivals, Guardiola may choose to sell off some of his star attacking talents to balance the books, with Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez look likely to depart the Etihad.
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