Jack Grealish is on the verge of completing his British record £100 million transfer from Aston Villa to Manchester City and his signing could be confirmed any time soon.
The England international arrived in Manchester Wednesday morning to put the finishing touches to a move that would see him become the most expensive signing in British football history, eclipsing the £89m Manchester United paid Juventus to buy Paul Pogba four years ago.
City romped to the Premier League title last season, but Pep Guardiola is intent on building from a position of strength and had earmarked Grealish as his No.1 target to provide competition for the likes of Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling.
Villa had been determined to retain the services of their captain, but were rendered powerless to prevent his departure after City activated the release clause in the contract Grealish signed nearly 12 months ago.
Grealish rose through the ranks at Villa, joining his boyhood club at the age of six and made his first team debut a decade later.
The 25-year-old remained loyal to Villa following their relegation to the Championship and helped inspire their return to the big-time before re-establishing the Midlands club as a Premier League force.
Despite his ties, Grealish has found the lure of playing for Guardiola impossible to resist with the offer of Champions League football, not to mention a significant pay rise, impossible to ignore.