Steve Bruce has been reflecting on his time at Aston Villa years ago, and detailed one summer when Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy constantly called him to try and arrange a transfer deal for Jack Grealish.
It is well known that Spurs tried to sign Grealish a few years before he hit the big time and moved on to Manchester City.
At the time, Grealish was playing for his boyhood club, Aston Villa. In 2019, the winger would lead the club to promotion back to the Premier League via the Championship play-offs.
But, a year earlier, Tottenham had tried to tempt the Englishman away from Villa with a fairly low offer, given the financial difficulties facing the club.
Daniel Levy really wanted a cheap deal for Jack Grealish
Now, Daniel Levy‘s methods of negotiation have been revealed by Steve Bruce, who was Villa manager at the time, and it turns out the Spurs boss had been pestering Bruce with phone calls constantly throughout the summer of 2018.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Bruce said: “One of the best things I did in management was not sell him to Tottenham for £8 million. Daniel Levy badgered me every day on holiday to sell him when Aston Villa weren’t the best in finances.
“I was the only one left, if you remember when Keith Wyness unfortunately left and the club was in a bit of chaos until the new people came in. But I think Levy in his own great way was trying to get a bargain and we did all we could to not sell him to Tottenham for £8 million.”
Thankfully for Villa, they staved off the pursuit. Bruce added: “The new people came in and the first thing they did was offer Jack a new contract, which he thoroughly deserved. The rest is history from then. Also, he was a huge Aston Villa fan and enjoyed playing for the club and enjoyed being the star man, which he undoubtedly was.”
Spurs Web Opinion
Can you imagine Jack Grealish in that Pochettino side? Or, even now, in this Postecoglou side, he would have such an impact and would relish the kind of chances we create. But, he’s done well at City overall, and I honestly think he did the right thing staying at Villa and building his legacy there.
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