Premier League outfit Leicester City are lining up a summer move for Aston Villa ace Jack Grealish, according to the Daily Mirror.
The newspaper claims that the Foxes are eyeing a £20million swoop for the attacking midfielder if Villa fail to secure promotion from the Championship this season.
It is understood that Leicester feel the advanced playmaker could play the perfect role behind talisman Jamie Vardy and have been alerted to his form of late.
The report details that the Englishman is likely to stay at Villa Park if they have Premier League football next season and would get a “bumper increase” on his existing £20,000-a-week contract.
However, the Midlands giants would cut costs if they remain in the Championship and the creative maestro is a huge saleable asset.
Grealish is a mainstay in Steve Bruce’s starting XI and has helped them to fourth in the league table, but the club are likely to go through the turmoil of the play-offs to try seal a return to the top flight.
Good move for Villa?
Grealish really has come into his own in the second half of the season and is playing a key role in the promotion push.
The attacking genius is thriving in the number 10 role and now has three goals plus seven assists in 28 games this season.
He should be kept at Villa for the foreseeable future because he loves the club and appears to have buried his off-field antics, with the role of manager Bruce surely a big influence.
This Is Futbol rating: 4/10
Likely to happen?
The play-offs really is a lottery and there is no guarantee that Villa will end up in the Premier League next season, with automatic promotion seemingly just out of their reach.
However, it seems unlikely the club would allow Grealish to leave for £20million given the current state of the transfer market and would surely hold out for more on a player tipped to become even better.
This Is Futbol rating: 3/10