Jack Grealish: Manchester City closing in on record £100m deal for Aston Villa captain

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

Manchester City are closing in on the signing of Jack Grealish, with the Aston Villa captain now expected to complete a British record £100m transfer.

Negotiations between the two Premier League clubs have progressed to the verge of an agreement, with Grealish on course to finalise personal terms and undergo a medical at City in the coming days.

Villa were reluctant to lose their talismanic playmaker and drew up plans to offer Grealish a new contract earlier this summer, less than 12 months after he penned a new five-year deal.

After an exemplary individual season and establishing himself as an England international, however, Grealish is keen to test himself in the Champions League with City.

The Etihad club submitted a £100m bid for Grealish on Friday, ahead of his return from his post-Euro 2020 holiday and return to training with Villa.

Pep Guardiola has been a longstanding admirer of Grealish's qualities, with The Independent revealing last November that the City manager intended to add him to his squad.

Once the signing of Grealish is complete, City are expected to turn their full attention to prising Harry Kane – Guardiola’s other top target this summer – from Tottenham Hotspur.

Villa, meanwhile, have softened the blow of losing their captain by signing Leon Bailey in a reported £30m deal from Bayer Leverkusen, with Emiliano Buendia joining from Norwich City for a similar fee back in June.