Express & Star

Tottenham told to 'put up or shut up' in their pursuit of Aston Villa ace Jack Grealish

Steve Bruce has told Tottenham to either stump up the cash or forget about prising Jack Grealish away from Villa.

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The two clubs have been in talks over the 22-year-old for much of the summer, yet Spurs are yet to make a formal bid, while the figures discussed have to date fallen well below Villa’s valuation – thought to be in excess of £25million.

Last month’s arrival of new owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens has seriously strengthened Villa’s negotiating position, with Bruce admitting they would otherwise have been forced to sell Grealish on the cheap.

But with just days of the transfer window now remaining, he expects Grealish to stay unless Spurs significantly raise their offer.

Villa still have to find £40million over this window and the next to comply with Financial Fair Play rules but Sawiris and Edens have told Bruce they do not want to sell.

“I don’t want to lose Jack and neither do the owners,” said Bruce. “We don’t want to lose our best players but it’s football and it might happen.

“The one thing is we are in a much better bargaining position now than before. If Spurs want to buy him, they will have to buy him at a premium that, in the last few weeks, they haven’t been able to get to.”

Bruce accepts the speculation has not been easy for Grealish and that the prospect of playing for a team in the Champions League is tempting for any player. But he insists Villa will not be held to ransom.

“We’re in the Championship and Tottenham are in the Champions League so I’m aware that there is a human involved and a football player,” he said. “A football player always wants to play at the top.

“He’s our best player by a distance and a very good player.

“There is a human aspect of it that we have to put into context. But at the moment Spurs haven’t come up with an offer that is anywhere near acceptable.

“To make an agreement both clubs have to agree.”

Bruce is hopeful of making inroads with his own recruitment in the coming days but admits FFP concerns mean Villa will be unable to make a “statement” in the market.

Instead, the manager will aim to utilise the loan market, which remains open until the end of the month for Championship clubs. Villa have enquired about taking Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham for the season, while Bruce admitted he was hopeful of getting “one or two” deals over the line prior to next Thursday’s deadline for permanent deals.

Villa are thought to be closing in on the signing of Norway international goalkeeper Orjan Nyland from German Second Division outfit FC Ingolstadt.

The club were unable to register any players prior to the start of August due to being placed under a 'soft' transfer embargo by the EFL. Bruce believes as many as eight clubs in the division have been placed under similar embargoes.

“It’s something we’re going to have to try to navigate," said Bruce. “We’ve navigated it before, just, last year, so it’s something we’re going to have to try to navigate this year.

“I believe there are eight clubs under embargo in the Championship now. They all keep that quiet but we’re not the only ones.

“That’s been lifted. The owners have got that lifted and what they’ve done in a week has been quite remarkable.

“Let’s hope we can muddle our way through it. We simply have to."