Aston Villa are reportedly planning a sensational bid to bring back Jack Grealish from Manchester City in the upcoming summer transfer window.
Grealish fetched Aston Villa a club-record £100m transfer fee when he departed Villa Park for the Etihad Stadium back in 2021.
Despite establishing himself as a regular starter last term, the 28-year-old winger has been reduced to a much more bit-part role for the Citizens in the current campaign.
The arrival of Jeremy Doku has seen Grealish drop in the pecking order under Pep Guardiola. He has racked up just 10 starts in 20 league appearances this season, managing three goals and an assist in that time.
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Man City willing to part ways with Grealish in the summer
According to Football Insider, Man City are now willing to consider selling the England international in the summer if a suitable offer is received.
The report adds that should the opportunity present itself, Villa would eagerly seize the chance to make a move for their former captain, who continues to hold a special place in the hearts of fans at Villa Park.
A significant advantage for the Lions in pursuit of their former talisman is that the club is on the brink of qualifying for the Champions League.
It is understood that the biggest obstacle will be Grealish's wages, which is believed to be in the region of £300,000 a week at the Etihad. Meeting that figure will mean that Villa would be allocating a massive portion of their wage structure to a single player.
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Aston Villa to break the bank for Grealish return?
Even if Grealish opts for a pay cut, his current contract with the defending Premier League champions runs until 2027, meaning Villa would likely have to shell out a hefty transfer fee to bring him back to the club.
However, while City have not specified an exact asking price for the winger, it will likely be a lower amount than the £100m they spent on him, which still see Villa make a profit on the sale if they were to agree to a transfer fee for his return.
Grealish came through the Aston Villa academy and made 213 appearances for the club before his blockbuster move to Manchester in 2021.
The Villans are currently four points ahead of Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League standings with two games left to play in the 2023-24 season.
Unai Emery's side could secure Champions League qualification before the final game of the season if they beat Liverpool tonight and Spurs drop points against Manchester City tomorrow.
