NEWCASTLE want to benefit from Aston Villa’s money troubles by snatching Jack Grealish for a bargain, according to reports.
After losing the Championship play-off final the Villains are in serious financial trouble and will be stripped of their their best assets in the coming weeks.
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John Terry has already left the club by mutual consent in a bid to trim the wage bill and it appears highly-rated Grealish could be quickly following in his footsteps out of the exit door.
Toon boss Mike Ashley loves a good deal and manager Rafa Benitez has been begging for more players for over a year.
Villa want to keep hold of the 22-year-old but know they will be forced to cash in should they receive an offer in the region of £40m.
And the Chronicle on Tyneside claim Grealish is near the top of their long list of transfer targets.
The Geordies will have to do battle with Prem rivals Leicester who also want to take advantage of Villa’s financial mess by landing Grealish.
The Foxes seem in need of a replacement for Riyad Mahrez who is set to join Manchester City for £60million.
The Foxes have kept a close eye on Grealish all season and would be prepared to offer him first-team football.
After missing out on the £140million jackpot of reaching the Prem, the club’s owner Dr Tony Xia revealed he has been forced into a “rethink” over the Villa finances.
He has authorised numerous big-money deals over the last two years in order to try and get them back up into the top flight.
But, after failing to achieve that goal again, he says he will now be running a much tighter ship.
He told Villa’s website: “We are all aware that we will face severe FFP challenges next season. I am an Aston Villa fan. But I am also a businessman.
“Under the current circumstances, I think the club needs to rethink not only the past two years but also the past ten years. Villa needs to be a sustainable football club.
“People join. People leave. That is the cycle of football.
“But the football club always remains through it all.”
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