Daniel Levy right to play waiting game considering Jack Grealish history

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Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a move for Aston Villa playmaker Jack Grealish for some time now. The reports first emerged as the Championship side spiralled out of control financially. Following their failure to win promotion to the Premier League, it was abundantly clear former chairman Tony Xia had run aground.

With that in mind, Aston Villa’s marquee players looked to be on the cusp of an exit, with Grealish heading the queue.

Tottenham immediately became the favourites to sign the mercurial midfielder.

However, as reported by The Mirror this week, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy was playing a waiting game, hoping Spurs could drive down the value of Grealish as Villa’s financial situation worsened. It appeared £20 million was considered too much.

But Aston Villa were taken over in swift fashion last week and Grealish is now expected to remain.

It again highlights how Tottenham’s frugal business sense in the transfer market can, in some people’s eyes, occasionally backfire. At £20 million, in today’s market, Grealish might have turned out to be a bargain.

But Levy was also right to try and get him as cheap as possible. It is easy to forget how recently Grealish was proving a nightmare off the pitch and the fact he missed a large portion of last season with a serious kidney injury.

Grealish is a player with a lot of promise and £20 million might seem fair. But it would have been a gamble. Tottenham rarely make such moves and this might not be as big a blow as many fear.