Tottenham believe they are close to agreeing a deal with Aston Villa for midfielder Jack Grealish.

Villa are likely to reject an opening bid of around £20million for the 21-year-old but Spurs are expected to reach an agreement with the cash-strapped Championship club before next week’s transfer deadline.

Spurs have been tracking the midfielder for weeks and Grealish has indicated he would like to move to north London. The player expects to join the club in the coming days and become their first signing of this transfer window.

Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino has prepared supporters for the possibility that the club may not add to the squad at all this summer but as well as Grealish they are hoping to sign a holding midfielder and a forward in the next week.

Toby Alderweireld, Mousa Dembele and Danny Rose are still expected to leave before the end of the summer, with moves overseas most likely, while strikers Fernando Llorente and Vincent Janssen are also for sale.

Meanwhile, Spurs academy forward Reo Griffiths, the top scorer in the Under-18 Premier League last season, has become the latest young English player to move abroad after joining Ligue 1 side Lyon on a four-year deal.