Villa prepared to fight for Spurs target Grealish
Steve Bruce admits it will be tough for Aston Villa to fend off Tottenham Hotspur's interest in Jack Grealish, despite insisting the midfielder is not for sale.
Grealish, 22, is believed to be keen on joining Mauricio Pochettino's men after a season in the EFL Championship.
Spurs, though, are yet to meet Villa's valuation, with the Midlands club's financial strains eased by the arrival of fresh investment in July.
Bruce is confident of keeping Grealish beyond the end of the transfer window but expects to face a fight for his services.
"He is not for sale, however, it is very difficult when we are competing against a team which is one of the big teams in Europe now, not just in this country, and has played in the [UEFA] Champions League," Bruce said.
"But the owner has made it pretty clear that he does not want to sell anybody and that includes Jack."
Spurs boss Pochettino has consistently been thwarted in attempting to reinforce his squad, which could enter the new season without any off-season arrivals.
Their Premier League campaign commences away to Newcastle United at the weekend, while Grealish featured for Villa in a Championship clash with Hull City on Tuesday (AEST).
