Jack Grealish is set to sign a new contract with Aston Villa this week, as the pressure builds on manager Steve Bruce.

Grealish is close to agreeing an improved deal which will more than double his current £20,000 a week salary and official confirmation is expected in the next few days.

Tottenham Hotspur failed in their pursuit of the 23-year-old in the summer transfer window, proposing an offer of £25million, but Villa's new owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens were adamant he was not for sale.

Christian Purslow, the club's new chief executive, has made Grealish's future his priority and Villa are confident of putting the finishing touches to the contract this week.

Grealish's current deal did run out at the end of next season but the new terms are a reward for his emergence as one of the best players outside the Premier League. Gareth Southgate’s No 2 with England, Steve Holland, watched Grealish in Villa’s win over Rotherham on Tuesday.

Steve Bruce's position at the club remains under threat credit: Getty Images

With Villa likely to face punishment from the EFL over their finances next year, the prospect of Grealish being sold before next season remains a possibility if the club fails to win promotion. However, it is thought unlikely that Villa will accept any offers for the former England under-21 international in the January transfer window.

Bruce's future is again under scrutiny after the defeat to Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, with the majority of fans demanding a change.

Though there is no appetite in the boardroom to dismiss Bruce at this stage - with Purslow keen to maintain stability - the Villa manager has accepted that poor results will ultimately leave the club with no choice.

The defeat to Wednesday leaves Villa 13th in the Championship table with a trip to Bristol City on Friday night.

Bruce said: "That’s for others to decide [if I get time]. All I can do is get on with it and try and work as hard as I can to get a settled team.

"There’s some who will never accept me here, but that’s part and parcel of management.

“They’re disappointed, but so am I. Of course I’m just as disappointed.

“We’ll go to work again on Monday and I still believe that the team we have will be a threat in this division.

“We all look for time. That’s the magic word. No matter how you dress it up, it’s still a new team and people have only been here for a few weeks. When they settle in, they’ll be fine.”