Former Aston Villa Midfielder Aims Jibe at Spurs' Failed Attempt to Land Jack Grealish

Lee Hendrie has had his say on Tottenham's failed summer move for Aston Villa star Jack Grealish.

The former Villa midfielder, who spent 14 years playing for the Birmingham-based side, was happy to see the transfer window slam shut with Grealish still at Villa Park and has said that the Villans' intransigence over the player is quite the huge deal.

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Spurs pursued the attacking midfielder for most of the off-season and had a £25m bid rejected by Villa, who are believed to have valued the player at £35m. Before that, Daniel Levy had reportedly offered the side £3m plus Josh Onomah in exchange for Grealish, with the former having spent last season on loan with Villa.

"I think keeping Jack was a big enough statement, it speaks for itself," Hendrie told the Birmingham Mail. "I think the fans would have wanted that. I know Jack certainly would have being a Villa lad himself, but there were opportunities for him to maybe leave the club.

"It does speak volumes that the new board do want to get this club back to the Premier League by keeping hold of the best players and building round the likes of Jack Grealish.”

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The former Villa man also joked that, for £3m, coach Steve Bruce would have bought the player himself and taken him home.

He added: "I think Steve [Bruce] would have bought Jack himself for that sort of fee, 3 million, and took him home and put him in the garden!"

Tottenham have found themselves on the end of much criticism for what has been considered a failure of a summer, with the club making Premier League history by not signing a single player during the summer transfer window.

Grealish was believed to be their main target, yet they simply refused to match Villa's valuation and could pay the price for their poor business, having failed to reinforce their squad while the possibility of players leaving still looms.