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Jack Grealish poised to join Manchester City from Aston Villa in £100m deal

<span>Photograph: Neil Hall/Reuters</span>
Photograph: Neil Hall/Reuters

Jack Grealish is close to joining Manchester City from Aston Villa on a five-year contract. Talks are in their final stages and, barring an unexpected hitch, the playmaker will move for about £100m.

Villa have tried hard to keep Grealish, offering an improved deal, but a transfer for a record fee between English clubs is poised to be completed. The 25-year-old has spent his whole career with his boyhood team.

Related: ‘Great pace and creativity’: Aston Villa sign Leon Bailey from Bayer Leverkusen

City are also keen to sign Harry Kane, who has stayed away from Tottenham this week in the hope of forcing a move. The Spurs chairman, Daniel Levy, does not want to sell and it would take an offer substantially above the £100m already rejected for a deal to go through. Spurs expect Kane back this weekend.

City, Villa and Grealish’s representatives are involved in the last stage of negotiations on a day when Villa added to their attacking options by signing Leon Bailey from Bayer Leverkusen for about £30m.

Villa are also interested in Tammy Abraham and could bid for the striker, valued by Chelsea at £40m, with proceeds from the expected sale of Grealish, whose move would smash City’s transfer record.