How Aston Villa are planning on spending Grealish cash

James Shearman

• 4 Aug 2021 14:53 BST
• 3 min read

Aston Villa are looking to re-sign two former players once Jack Grealish completes his move to Manchester City.

Tammy Abraham and Axel Tuanzebe both excelled in Villa's 2018/19 season in the Sky Bet Championship, which ended in playoff final victory against Frank Lampard's Derby County.

Now, having been made surplus to requirements at their Champions League-playing clubs, the pair are open to returning on loan once more.

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Dean Smith's side have already signed Emi Buendia and Leon Bailey this summer, but the departure of their talisman means more business will need to be done in order to push for continental qualification next season.

The Villains are set to receive £100million in the Grealish deal, opening up the possibility for another three or four signings, including the two former loanees.

Tuanzebe and Abraham

Manchester United are reportedly willing to let Tuanzebe leave on loan, only if the 23-year-old signs a one-year contract extension.

This would help United to preserve Tuanzebe's transfer value instead of it declining due to having a year less on his deal once the loan expires.

The defender has struggled for game time at Old Trafford, with Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly often higher in the pecking order.

And, with the confirmation of World Cup winner Raphael Varane, there appears to be no place for Tuanzebe in manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's bloated squad.

As for Abraham, the striker carried momentum from Villa's 2018/19 promotion, where he scored 26 goals in 40 games, into the next season with Chelsea.

Under Lampard, Abraham registered 15 goals and three assists in his first full season at Stamford Bridge, but the signings of Timo Werner and Kai Havertz reduced his playing time significantly in the last campaign.

Often failing to make the bench under Thomas Tuchel, the 23-year-old understandably grew unsettled at his situation which now means he is set to leave.

Villa will face competition from Arsenal and West Ham for his signature, but Dean Smith will be hoping that their existing relationship will be enough to convince the forward to return to Villa Park.

Chelsea could prefer a permanent deal for their academy graduate, as they look to fund a move for Inter's Romelu Lukaku, but a successful loan may increase the fee they could command from Abraham next summer.