According to 90min, Manchester United have been dealt a blow in their reported pursuit of Aston Villa star Jack Grealish.

What's the word?

The Villa captain has been in sensational form for his boyhood club so far this season, having made 21 Premier League appearances with six goals and 12 assists to show from his 21 starts.

Naturally, other sides have begun to take notice a lot more, and FourFourTwo claim that he has been linked with both sides of Manchester in recent weeks.

However, it appears that they may face a bit of a problem, as the 90min report adds that Villa intend to offer him a new contract that would see him become one of the highest-paid players in the Premier League in an attempt to ward off any potential suitors in the summer.

Ed Woodward can redeem himself

Having failed in their efforts to sign Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho last year, a move for Grealish has presented itself as an opportunity for Ed Woodward to redeem himself and atone for his mistakes by signing a player of a similar calibre.

Like Sancho, Grealish is a class operator who has earned rave reviews for his performances from fans and pundits alike, including current Middlesbrough manager Neil Warnock, who likened him to United great Eric Cantona.

Even England manager Gareth Southgate praised his "outstanding" performance in the Nations League defeat to Belgium last year.

The 25-year-old, who predominantly plays as a left-winger, made no secret of his desire to move to Old Trafford in the past, although a move failed to materialise and he went on to pen a new deal at Villa Park.

But the bottom line is that  Woodward simply has to put his money where his mouth is if he is legitimately interested in turning United into genuine title contenders. He could do this by making Villa an offer they can't refuse.

AND in other news, Manchester United transfer target Raphael Varane was superb in Real Madrid win...