The Birmingham Mail's Ashley Preece has dropped a major claim on Jack Grealish's future at Aston Villa amid speculation linking him with a move to Manchester City.

What's the story?

Reports in recent days and weeks have suggested that Pep Guardiola's side are preparing a big-money bid for the Villa captain as they look to lure him away from Villa Park this summer.

However, Preece has now delivered an update on the situation, and it's good news for Villa supporters.

Replying to a fan on Twitter, he said: "What will be will be, Jack. I expect Grealish to stay. I've got a good feeling about that. I'm sure that Jack doesn't know himself about staying or leaving. He still needs to sit down with Villa; City yet to come on strong. That's all there is to it, as it stands."

Fans will be buzzing

If Villa stand firm on their intentions to keep Grealish, then they can rest assured that the England star won't start sulking - according to The Express and Star's Luke Hatfield.

Speaking to FFC, he said: "I don’t think Grealish would go and out throw his toys out of the pram and refuse to play for Villa, put it that way. We’ve seen that with some protracted transfers before where the player’s on a lengthy deal and he ends up saying ‘well, I’m not going to play for you then, I’ll just sit here and run out the contract’, and it gets very awkward.

"The issue is with Grealish, he’s club captain, he’s a Villa fan, a boyhood Villan, I don’t think he would ever put the club in that kind of position.

"I think there’s probably an agreement to be had there between the player and the club where if the player feels that a move is right, that the club would agree as long as the money was right as well."

Make no mistake about it, Grealish staying at Villa Park this summer would be the biggest and best piece of business Dean Smith's side could do, regardless of any new high-profile signings.

And it's exactly why Preece's optimistic claim that he expects Grealish to stay will be music to the ears of Villa fans everywhere.

Meanwhile, Villa have opened talks with this star...