Chelsea to hi-jack Tottenham’s bid for Championship star

Chelsea have entered the race to sign Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish and are ready to hi-jack Tottenham’s move for the Championship ace, claims The Sun.

Grealish has been heavily linked with a move away from Villa all summer after Steve Bruce’s side missed out on promotion to the Premier League last season.

The Championship giants looked set to cash in on the England Under-21 international after plunging into financial turmoil but new investors have since steadied the ship and ruled out his departure.

If that wasn’t already a blow for Tottenham, who have seemingly been the only side seriously pursuing Grealish up until this point, now Chelsea are ready to test Villa’s resolve.

Maurizio Sarri’s side have already snatched Jorginho from under the noses of Manchester City and are ready to do the same to their London rivals with Grealish.

The Chelsea boss wants to further bolster his midfield options before the transfer window closes on Thursday and has moved his focus from Arsenal ace Aaron Ramsey to Grealish.

Grealish emerged as one of the best players in the Championship last season and has been urged by Chelsea legend and former Villa team-mate John Terry to take the next step in his career.

The 22-year-old played a direct hand in eight goals in 27 league appearances last season (three goals, five assists), while also winning more fouls per 90 minutes (3.9) than any player in the division (10+ apps).