Jack Grealish has returned to training with Aston Villa after a £100m bid from Manchester City.
Grealish, who was given an extended break after playing for England at Euro 2020, was seen back in training with his Villa team-mates on Monday.
The 26-year-old appeared to be in good spirits as he took part in some stretching exercises.
City are keen to sign Grealish this summer and Sky Sports News expects their £100m offer – submitted on Friday – to be accepted by Villa.
Villa are yet to formally respond to City’s offer, but it is understood they are willing to let Grealish leave for the Premier League champions.
Grealish will now have to decide whether he wants to depart his boyhood club in a move that would represent the biggest transfer in English football history.
The previous record is held by Paul Pogba, who re-joined Manchester United for £93.25m from Juventus in 2016.
Villa did offer Grealish a new and improved contract earlier this summer, despite him signing a five-year deal last September.
Grealish is a Villa academy graduate and has made over 200 appearances for the club, scoring 32 goals.
Grealish’s X-factor and his special appeal
Sky Sports’ Peter Smith…
“Aston Villa supporters have been hailing him for years, celebrating a special talent which had emerged from their youth ranks. It took some time for fans of other clubs to get on board but Jack Grealish and his X-factor has won over all the judges now. At Euro 2020, the sound of England supporters cheering his warm-ups and chanting his name, urging Gareth Southgate to throw him into the action, was the perfect illustration of that.
“He appeared for just 137 minutes at that tournament but he was a major story throughout. His two assists and cameos off the bench were a tantalizing glimpse of what England had in the locker and drove the conversation about how they should attack.
“It is that enticing, exciting, game-changing potential which makes him such hot property.
“Inside Wembley this summer, the change in approach from opposition defenders when he came into the game was clear to see. They dropped deeper. They doubled up. They looked nervous and wary of what might come next. It’s a growing trend we’ve Seen in the Premier League and Grealish’s skill, Grealish’s reputation has now earned international respect, too.
“That tantalizing possibility of what Grealish could do at the top end of the Premier League or in the Champions League is clearly a question being pondered at Manchester City. The great Pep Guardiola attracted by the potential of greatness from Grealish.
“But those deep Villa roots mean Grealish won’t be easy to price away from his hometown club. His iconic status there would be enhanced if he stayed on. It’s a pivotal moment in his career and, just like during the Euros, there is real intrigue with what he does next.”
Follow the summer transfer window with Sky Sports
You can follow all the latest transfer news and rumors in our dedicated Transfer Center blog on Sky Sports’ digital platforms, as well as keeping track of all the developments on Sky Sports News.
