Jack Grealish England 2020-21Getty Images

‘Grealish worth over £100m, Spurs snubbed him at £25m’ – Hutton expects Tottenham & Man Utd regrets

Tottenham will be “kicking themselves” at having turned down a £25 million ($34m) deal for Jack Grealish, says Alan Hutton, with the Aston Villa playmaker now worth “£100m ($135m) at least".

Back in the summer of 2018, with Villa stuck in the Championship, Spurs tabled a big-money offer for a talented playmaker.

They refused to bow to pressure after seeing an initial approach knocked back, with questions asked in north London of whether Grealish was worth taking a sizeable gamble on.

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The decision to walk away from discussions has backfired badly, with Grealish now part of the senior England set-up and adjusting to life in the Premier League at Villa in style.

Manchester rivals United and City are said to have joined the clamour for Grealish, as his stock continues to rise, and Hutton expects a step up the ladder to be taken at some point by the talented 25-year-old.

The former Spurs and Villa defender told Ladbrokes: “I must admit I did think Jack Grealish was a goner in the summer; I thought someone would’ve come in for him. I wasn’t sure where he’d have fitted in at Man United but I knew that a lot of top teams were monitoring his situation.

“If you look at the knock-on effect Grealish’s decision to stay has had on the team though, I think it was a real turning point for the club moving forward. It was a statement for the owners to sign him to a big contract and that led to other key players extending their contracts; Tyrone Mings and John McGinn being two.

“It no doubt helped them get Ross Barkley through the door. I think if Jack Grealish doesn’t sign that contract back in the summer, then a lot of players follow suit and move on; that’s the power that he’s got. He drags people along with him as well and wants his teammates playing at his level which is so good to see.

“He has to be one of the best players in the league at the moment. You look at the performances he’s putting in at the moment, they’re right up there with the best. And you have to remember we’re talking about a lad doing this for Aston Villa, who I think will finish mid-table.

“If you put this guy in one of the top teams in the league; could you imagine what he’d be capable of? We’ve watched him tie and time again stand up and perform when there’s been a lot of pressure on him. He’s an outstanding talent.

“If he does eventually move on from Villa, you’re talking £100m at least. If you go back a couple of years, I remember a time where I think Tottenham were interested in him and they didn’t want to spend £25m on him. If you look at the player he is now, they must be kicking themselves.”

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