Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce has said he is certain Tottenham would have secured the signing of midfield maestro Jack Grealish this summer had they done their business earlier in the transfer window.
The Lilywhites became the first club since 2003 not to make a single signing during the market and left Mauricio Pochettino with the same squad that he finished third in the Premier League with last season.
Spurs were heavily linked with a move for Grealish all through the summer but a move failed to transpire as Villa’s financial issues were solved thanks to a takeover from the club’s new owners.
Confirming that practically every senior player was up for sale, Bruce told Alan Brazil’s Sports Breakfast show on talkSPORT: “We were in such a bad position financially that if Tottenham had have done their work early, then I’m sure he would have been at Tottenham.
“Before the takeover came in, everyone was for sale, that’s how difficult the situation was.”
"If Tottenham had done their work early he would be a Spurs player now."#AVFC boss Steve Bruce says @JackGrealish1 would have joined #THFC if they made a move before the takeover at Villa Park! ??
? Listen ? pic.twitter.com/2uPzEi6XEy
— talkSPORT Breakfast (@TSBreakfast) August 17, 2018
Opinion
Bruce is just driving the knife deeper and deeper into the back of Tottenham chief Daniel Levy, who has come under serious fire for the lack of transfer business this summer. It looked as though Spurs were willing to wait it out and snap Grealish up for a bargain when they had no other choice but to sell him, but the new owners swooped in and saved the club, torpedoing Tottenham’s transfer plans at the same time. It made Levy look foolish and Bruce’s revelation about how doing a deal earlier would have secured him his man simply adds to the embarrassment. Grealish looks set to stay at Villa long term now and if he goes on to be a real success, then it will be a case of what might have been for Spurs. Still, you live and you learn, and Levy must never allow this mistake to happen again.