The £100m release clause in Jack Grealish's Aston Villa contract was surprising, says Express & Star journalist Luke Hatfield.

Grealish joined Manchester City last week after the Premier League champions had a £100m bid accepted, making him the most expensive player in British football history.

Shortly before, Sky Sports reported that they expected City's offer to be accepted, and it turns out that Villa had no choice but to sanction a deal, with CEO Christian Purslow later revealing that Grealish had a release clause in his contract.

Having managed to keep it under wraps, it was a revelation that surprised many, including Aston Villa journalist Hatfield.

"It was a little bit of a surprise," the reporter told FFC. "I think Villa always kind of kept those details very close to their chest. They don't want knowledge of a release clause touted about left, right and centre just because it makes it much easier for buying clubs."

It will be interesting to see if it is something Villa do in the future with other players. It is something some fans may not like, knowing that some of their assets, perhaps very important ones, will effectively always be for sale.

However, it may make enticing high calibre players to Villa Park, who can help the team to progress during their time there, an easier task.