Jack Grealish is ready to make a big impact at Tottenham next season

Tottenham’s interest in Jack Grealish last summer was to strengthen their bench. This summer it will be to boost Mauricio Pochettino’s starting XI.

A funny thing’s happened to Jack Grealish after his failed move to Tottenham this summer. He’s suddenly become the dominant force at Aston Villa that scouts always thought he could be. When Spurs return to bid for him this summer, they’ll be trying to purchase a player who is capable of stepping right into their starting XI.

Assuming Aston Villa aren’t able to achieve promotion, it’s very likely that Tottenham are going to try to rectify last summer’s mistake. Specifically, that means they will engage in fair negotiations over Grealish’s transfer. Last summer, Tottenham were guilty of trying to take advantage of Villa’s financial issues.

If Grealish had moved to Tottenham last summer, he would’ve gotten some playing time this season, but it would have mostly come during Cup competitions. He was nowhere near consistent enough in the Championship last year to compete with the likes of Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli, Erik Lamela and Son Heung-Min for playing time.

This year the 23-year-old Englishman has come into his own. He’s absolutely dominated his competition in the Championship. Grealish has been VIlla’s best statistical player on the season with an average Whoscored.com player rating of 7.37 in his 24 appearances. He’s been the midfield player who runs the entire match for Villa.

Obviously, stepping up from the Championship to the Premier League is a massive challenge for any player. Grealish can’t boss the midfield in England’s top flight the same way he can do in the second division. However, his play has been so good this season for Villa that it makes it clear he can jump up and handle things in the Premier League.

This doesn’t mean Spurs should count on Grealish to replace Eriksen as the club’s starting No. 10, but it does mean there could be some quality competition at that position. Such a battle would have a positive outcome for Pochettino no matter who emerges victorious.

It’s also possible that Grealish could help Spurs transition to a three-man midfield more often. Tottenham’s personnel is well suited to play a 4-3-3, but the lack of healthy midfielders has kept Pochettino from using that formation much this season. Adding a versatile player like Grealish who can help keep the ball moving in the final third could make it one of the Argentine gaffer’s top options next season.

There’s no guarantee that Tottenham will be able to pry Grealish away from Aston Villa this summer, but there’s no doubt he’s ready to make a significant impact at the Premier League level. Spurs are looking to buy him as a potential starter; he’s no longer a squad player.