Report: Tottenham to lodge initial bid for Aston Villa's Grealish

Tottenham Hotspur looks set to be the first club to solidify interest in signing Aston Villa standout Jack Grealish by making a bid for the midfielder.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy reportedly wants to take advantage of Villa's messy financial situation to poach Grealish for a modest fee, according to The Telegraph's Matt Law.

Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino has identified Grealish as a primary summer transfer target, Law reports, and believes he can nurture the 22-year-old's raw talent in the way he has done with England star Dele Alli.

Villa maintains it wants around £40 million for its leading star, but the financial stresses brought about by failure to win promotion to the Premier League will leave the club little room to manoeuvre this summer.

Levy, a notoriously hard bargainer, is reportedly looking to steal a deal for £15 million - a fee that would be far more palatable for the north London side.

Grealish, who has scored nine goals in 110 appearances for his boyhood club, has been linked with a host of Premier League teams.