The clock is ticking as the transfer window for English clubs is closing at 5 pm on Thursday, August 9. There are still plenty of players that will be switching clubs before then, as clubs are desperately trying to fit in deals in between the World Cup and before the new, earlier transfer deadline date.
The FA announced that all deals would need to be concluded before the Premier League kicks off, leaving a much shorter time to negotiate than in previous seasons. This points towards a fast and furious last few days as clubs try to bolster their squads in readiness for a long season ahead.
Jack Grealish finally to move to Tottenham?
One player that has continuously been linked with a transfer is Aston Villa’s, Jack Grealish. The young playmaker has been attracting interest from a number of clubs, Tottenham and now manager Steve Bruce has admitted that it will be very difficult to keep hold of the young star.
Villa’s huge asking price
Villa’s asking price is rumoured to be a stumbling block in the proposed transfer, with Bruce stating that Tottenham’s £20m bid is nowhere near the price they value him at. They are valuing him at around £40million, which is quite steep for a player that has been playing Championship football for the past two seasons. Tottenham is expected to submit another large bid, in an attempt to get the deal done before the transfer window closes.
At 22 years of age, Grealish has already nearly made 100 appearances for Villa and played for the Republic of Ireland youth teams before switching to play for England U21s. Whilst he is a lifelong Villa fan, the opportunity to join a Premier League club and play in the Champions League will be too big a temptation for him. Aston Villa failed to clinch promotion for the second season running and Grealish is at a time in his career when he should be playing at top level.
Grealish could go to Chelsea
Other teams could also make a late bid for the midfielder, with Chelsea rumoured to be monitoring the situation. So Grealish could end up in London on Thursday to tie up a last-minute deal, despite playing for Aston Villa yesterday in a win against Hull City.
