Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly set their sights on signing a top Premier League winger they first missed out on landing way back in 2019.
Ange Postecoglou remains on the hunt for attacking reinforcements after seeing his side decimated by injuries so far this season, with another wide player firmly on his radar.
And latest reports suggest that Manchester City and England forward Jack Grealish could make a sensational switch to north London, five years after Tottenham first tried to sign him.
Daniel Levy initially bid £15million for Grealish when Aston Villa were in the Championship, upping that offer to £25m only to be swatted aside by Villa who wanted in the region of £40m for their talisman.
Just two years later, Grealish became the most expensive English player of all time when he joined City for £100m, but things have not always gone to plan for the England international on a personal level at The Etihad despite the club’s trophy success – and now Tottenham are said to be back on the hunt for his services.
Indeed, Football Insider reports that doubts over his future at City has sparked interest from north London again, with Postecoglou wanting to add some experience to a young squad.
There is no mention of what sort of fee could be involved, although Grealish remains under contract until 2027 so won’t come cheap despite his overall lack of productivity at City.
Spurs’ chase for Grealish comes amid continued links to Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze and Nottingham Forest star Callum Hudson-Odoi, who are three and five years younger than Grealish. Eze, however, could cost more than a move for Grealish, while Hudson-Odoi will certainly be less.
However, the report adds that a move for Grealish in January is almost certainly a non-starter and that any transfer will have to be held back until the summer.
Grealish links add more Son uncertainty
Grealish being linked with Tottenham only adds to the uncertainty that continues to exist surrounding skipper Son Heung-min’s long-term future in north London.
The South Korean, who is heading towards a decade at Spurs, will be out of contract next summer and while it’s reported that the club are willing to to take up his option of an extra year they are not willing to commit to an extended deal for the 32-year-old.
Tottenham already had one on the future when bringing Wilson Odobert from Burnley over the summer, while outstanding young talent Mikey Moore has already shown flashes of his quality this season.
Brennan Johnson has made the right-wing spot his own with his goalscoring exploits this term but the left side continues to be a revolving door, given injuries to Son, Odobert and the on-loan Timo Werner.
Bringing in Grealish would be seen as somewhat of a gamble for Tottenham, depending on his price tag, given the the lack of productivity to back up his exceptional talent.
As for City’s stance on the player, Football Insider reports that new sporting director Hugo Viana is being tasked with signing a ‘big name’ replacement as the club look to cash in on Grealish.
The winger has not featured for City since the 2-1 win at Wolves on October 20 and was also forced to pull out of the England squad for their upcoming Nations Lague clashes against Greece and the Republic of Ireland.
Latest Tottenham news: Levy standing firm over Romero/ New left-back eyed
Tottenham will reportedly not entertain bids for Cristian Romero from Real Madrid, which could leave Everton open to the possibility of being raided instead.
Spurs have enjoyed the qualities of Romero in their side for the past three seasons. He has grown into one of the Premier League’s best defenders in that time.
But there is danger that he could be prised away, with Real Madrid frequently linked with his signing.
According to Football Insider, though, that will be a very difficult deal for the La Liga giants to pull off.
Meanwhile, Gent left-back Archie Brown is on the radar of Tottenham, West Ham, Chelsea, Brentford and Leeds ahead of the January transfer window, TEAMtalk can reveal.
IN FOCUS – Grealish stats at Man City
While the former Villa man has won three Premier League titles, the FA Cup and a Champions League title during his time at The Etihad, his personal stats have not really done justice to his huge price tag.