NSWE Investment

[kippaxvilla2]

Moxley - Mirror.

Jack Grealish transfer: Blow for bargain-hunting Tottenham as Aston Villa's new owners BLOCK summer exit

EXCLUSIVE: Gamble on driving down financially-stricken club's asking price fails after billionaire completes swift takeover

22:30, 28 JUL 2018Updated22:54, 28 JUL 2018
Spurs' dithering over Jack Grealish’s £20million transfer from Aston Villa has backfired.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has come a cropper after his waiting game for the former England Under-21 international midfielder has blown up in his face.

Levy gambled on driving down the sale price due to Villa’s financial woes — only for a staggering five-day sale of the Championship club late last week to turn the process on its head. And now those new owners have blocked Grealish’s exit.

Egyptian billionaire Nassef Sawaris and American Wes Edens have a combined wealth of £40billion, making them the third richest owners in English football.

They immediately pumped in cash to prevent Villa from falling into administration — and now they’ve told Grealish he’s going nowhere.


Grealish is now set to stay at Villa and help their latest promotion push (Image: PA Wire)
That will come as a major blow to Spurs, who had put in plenty of groundwork convincing the playmaker that his future lay at the new White Hart Lane.

A Villa source said: “Spurs could have pushed the button on this two weeks ago before the takeover. They didn’t. And now the owners have said that neither he, nor James Chester is going anywhere.

“They want to build Villa. That’s not going to happen by selling the club’s best players.”

Manager Steve Bruce was given the news at a meeting with his new bosses earlier this week.

Bruce has also had his own position confirmed amid a financial landscape that has changed dramatically within just one week.

Levy’s gamble was understandable.


A Villa source claims Levy could have done a £20m deal for Grealish a fortnight ago (Image: Getty)
Unless the takeover had taken place, Villa may well have hit a financial brick wall this week.

They has been asking £15m plus add-ons for Grealish, taking the total deal over £20m. Levy bet on them slipping deeper into trouble — and instead the opposite happened.

The odds were, however, in Spurs’ favour as Villa were staring down a barrel. Money was owed to West Brom in the form of the final £2m instalment on Wales defender Chester’s 2016 transfer, and a £4m payroll run plus cash for revenue and customs over a tax bill – also believed to be £4m – would have pushed them over the edge.

But, after an army of solicitors worked flat-out around the clock over a five-day period, the purchase of the club was pushed through in double-quick time, saving Villa — and preventing them from having to cash in on Grealish, their most valuable asset.


Villa's problems have seen a string of players leave, now Bruce needs backing to bring some in (Image: PA)
It remains to be seen how far the new owners will now back their manager as Financial Fair Play is still understood to be an issue.

Bruce has already lost six loan players since the end of the last campaign, including the likes of Robert Snodgrass and Lewis Grabban, while John Terry left as his one-year contract had expired and the club could not afford a new deal.

With the new campaign starting next weekend and the transfer window closing in less than two weeks, the Geordie needs help if he is to mount a sustainable promotion push and return Villa to the big-time this season after losing May's play-off final to Fulham.

[PeterWithesShin]

If master negotiator Levy has blown it I think I may find it a tad amusing.

[PaulWinch again]

If master negotiator Levy has blown it I think I may find it a tad amusing.

Just a bit.

[PeterWithesShin]

If master negotiator Levy has blown it I think I may find it a tad amusing.

Just a bit.

Maybe just a smidgen.

[PeterWithesShin]

The big worry has to be Levy showing Jack all the trophies Spurs have won the last few years. Could turn Jack's head.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

As Ads said, that Levy bloke is a genius.

Reminds me of a direct marketing genius in the States, that tested a mailing list and got a fantastic response to sending out goldfish in a bag through the post. They rolled out a major campaign of millions but forgot about the timing - people were not impressed receiving a block of ice with a goldfish inside.

[Ads]

When did I say that?

[kippaxvilla2]

I just love us being referred to as having the 3rd richest owners in football.

[robbo1874]

It will sound better next year back in the prem

[Ads]

QPR got a £17m fine. Maybe no fucks are given.

[Rigadon]

Great to see Villa finally not flogging our best players.  And doubly great that it's Spurs who have been told to go away.

[Martin Carruthers]

We should bid £15m for Kane, Erikson & Lloris.

[Brend'Watkins]

We should follow it up with bids for Kane, Trippier and Eriksen. Could go for Ponchettino while we’re at it.

Edit: Martin Carothers beat me to it.

[mr underhill]

cheeky £500,000 bid for Onomah ?

[Risso]

Christ no.