Middlesbrough eye move for talented Aston Villa midfielder

Middlesbrough are interested in signing Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish in a bid to add more creativity to the side, reports The Daily Mail.

Aitor Karanka’s side face a fight to keep star creator Gaston Ramirez after the Uruguayan handed in a transfer request to force through a move to reigning Premier League champions Leicester and appear resigned to losing him this month.

Middlesbrough are therefore wasting no time in drawing up plans to find a replacement for Ramirez and are now weighing up the possibility of moving for Grealish, while Stoke’s Bojan is also on the shortlist.

Karanka’s side are plotting an ambitious move for Paris Saint-Germain outcast Jese and appear to have missed out on the chance to sign Robert Snodgrass from Hull, while a move for Grealish may be more straightforward given the good relationship between the clubs.

Boro have already done plenty of business with the Championship outfit this season and could succeed in their pursuit of the 21-year-old given Steve Bruce’s side have added Conor Hourihane and Henri Lansbury to their midfield this month.

Grealish has been fouled more times than any other player in the Championship this season despite only playing in 21 matches (75).

For more stats on Jack Grealish, click here to visit his WhoScored player page