Following his impressive showing for the England Under-21 side in winning the Toulon Tournament, Aston Villa are bracing themselves for significant interest in talented youngster Jack Grealish. The Telegraph understands that Tottenham Hotspur, Stoke City and Everton are pondering over making a move.
The 20-year-old endured a difficult season at Villa both on and off the pitch, but at least ended it in fine fashion on the international scene. It could also result in a transfer back into the Premier League.
Grealish played a major part in England’s success in France, also scoring twice in the emphatic 7-1 victory over Guinea. Last season he gained the unwelcome stat of not winning a single game that he appeared in for Aston Villa.
Mark Hughes has been a long time admirer of the tricky wide man and is particularly keen on signing a player of similar creativity to boost his squad. Dutchman Ibrahim Afellay is expected to miss out of the remaining time in 2016 because of a serious injury. Hughes believes Grealish could help fill that void.
Managerless Everton and Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs are also monitoring the situation as they look to potentially steal a prized asset for a cheaper price considering Villa’s relegation into the second tier.
Last season was one to forget for Grealish. He spent time in the Under-21 side following his off-the-field exploits, and found it particularly hard after Tim Sherwood lost his job early into the campaign. He also had injury problems, meaning he struggled to build up any serious momentum. Still, he proved his quality on certain occasions, enough for Premier League clubs to queue up for his signature.
