Grealish completes move to Manchester City for reported £100M

Manchester City completed the signing of Jack Grealish from Aston Villa on Thursday, the reigning Premier League champions announced.

The England international joins City on a six-year contract to finalize a reported £100-million transfer from his boyhood club.

"I am incredibly happy to have joined Manchester City," Grealish said. "City are the best team in the country with a manager considered to be the best in the world - it's a dream come true to be part of this club.

"Over the past 10 seasons, they have won major trophies consistently. Pep coming here has taken them to the next level, and the football this team plays is the most exciting in Europe. To play for Pep and learn from him is going to be special, and it's something any top footballer would want.

"The facilities are amazing, and I honestly can't wait to get started, meet everyone, and get playing."

The reported fee makes Grealish the most expensive British footballer ever and breaks the Premier League transfer record.

The previous record fee for a British player belonged to Gareth Bale after Real Madrid paid £85 million to sign him from Tottenham in 2013. Meanwhile, the successful bid for Grealish is the most a Premier League club has paid for a player since Manchester United bought Paul Pogba from Juventus for £89 million in 2016.

Thursday's announcement puts Grealish in contention to possibly be available for the Community Shield on Sunday when Manchester City take on Leicester City. Pep Guardiola's men open the Premier League season the following weekend with an encounter against Tottenham Hotspur.

Villa offered Grealish a new contract to convince him to stay, but the 23-year-old was eager to join City and work under Guardiola, according to The Guardian's David Hytner.

Grealish graduated from the Villa youth academy before making his senior debut in 2014. He rose through the ranks at the club to become captain and developed into one of England's most promising young players.

Meanwhile, Manchester City are expected to resume their pursuit of Harry Kane, who has reportedly been absent from Tottenham's preseason training in an effort to engineer a departure.