Aston Villa have put contract talks with star midfielder Jack Grealish on hold until the summer, according to the Mirror.
The newspaper claim that contract talks with the Villans academy graduate have been delayed until the end of the season in order to assess the club’s position then.
The Mirror report that if they achieve promotion back to the Premier League, it is hoped that Grealish will sign a new long-term bumper deal.
It is said that the 22-year-old’s current deal, that runs until the summer of 2020, is worth around £20,000-a-week.
Grealish underlined his importance to this Villa side with a virtuoso performance in midfield during a 2-0 Second City Derby win over Birmingham at the weekend.
OPINION
Grealish has one goal and four assists in 15 Championship appearances this season, but his contribution to the team is much larger than those figures suggest. A freak kidney injury put Grealish out of action for a long while, and since his return Villa have won 10 out of 16 games in the Championship, including their current winning run of seven games. He ran the midfield against Birmingham, and it was his pass that set up Albert Adomah to open the scoring and settle Villa Park’s nerves. If Villa do end up being promoted, then Grealish is surely in line for a bumper new deal.