Jack Grealish is on the verge of completing a £100million move to Premier League champions Manchester City from boyhood club Aston Villa.
The England international’s British record transfer to the Etihad Stadium is ‘as good as done’, according to talkSPORT sources.
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Pep Guardiola is targeting Grealish this summer as he plans to defend the club’s Premier League title and his latest push to win the elusive Champions League crown.
The deal is set to be completed after Euro 2020, where Grealish is currently starring for England.
Though publicly Villa have insisted the 25-year-old, who has four years left on his contract, is not for sale – a transfer is edging closer.
Jim White broke the news live on talkSPORT on Friday morning, saying: “According to talkSPORT sources, Jack Grealish to Man City is as good as done.
“Villa haven’t confirmed it, there is no confirmation coming out of Man City, but talkSPORT sources tell me it’s as good as done.
“The fee will be £100m and Jack Grealish will join Manchester City.
“I received the news just as I was coming on air, it’s very close to completion, it’s very close to being done.”
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Top ten biggest deals in Premier League history
10. Ruben Dias to Man City (£61m, 2020)
9. Angel Di Maria to Man United, (£67.5m, 2014)
8. Kevin De Bruyne to Man City, (£68m, 2015)
7. Kepa Arrizabalaga to Chelsea, (£72m, 2018)
6. Nicolas Pepe to Arsenal, (£72m, 2019)
5. Kai Havertz to Chelsea (£72m, 2020)
4. Virgil van Dijk to Liverpool (£76m, 2018)
3. Romelu Lukaku to Man United (£76m, 2017)
2. Harry Maguire to Man United (£78m, 2019)
- Paul Pogba to Man United (£94m, 2016)
The £100m fee would smash the British transfer record, which currently stands at £89m from when Paul Pogba re-signed for Manchester United from Juventus in 2016.
However, that £100m could also be eclipsed if Harry Kane joins City from Tottenham this summer, as reports suggest.
Grealish has long been linked away from his boyhood club and has regularly been a target of City’s arch rivals, Man United.
The Red Devils were said to be in talks over a £75million transfer last summer, but nothing materialised.
Villa, meanwhile, appear to be preparing for life after Grealish having already signed Emi Buendia from Norwich.
They have also seen a bid for Arsenal star Emile Smith Rowe turned down, while they have snapped up Ashley Young on a free transfer.
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Grealish has been with Villa since the age of six and has already played 213 times with the club.
Reacting to the transfer news, Premier League winger Andros Townsend said: “I don’t want to speak for the Villa fans, but from an outside point of view he’d still have legendary status.
“He got them back up to the Premier League. When they went down to the Championship, he stayed and got them back up.
“He could have left last summer, he didn’t and stayed. He got his game to another level and is now representing them at the Euros.
“I would say he still has legendary status. He’s going to the best club in the Premier League. They’ll understand why.”
Simon Jordan added: “The days of Matt Le Tissier staying at a football club for the duration of their career are probably gone.
“There’s an argument to be said that Jack Grealish has earned the right for a move. It’s not difficult to justify going to arguably the best club in English football and possibly soon to be the best club in European football.”
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