Man United tried to tempt Jack Grealish away from Aston Villa in 2012 when he was only 16, reveals Alex McLeish... and he would have been a snip compared to the £80m asking price now!

Manchester United tried to tempt Jack Grealish away from Aston Villa when he was 16, according to former manager Alex McLeish.

The interest in Grealish, then the star turn in Villa's academy and on the brink of a first-team breakthrough, occurred in April 2012, just before Sir Alex Ferguson's final season in charge.

According to McLeish, an agent attempted to persuade Grealish to leave Villa and join United over a dinner but didn't ultimately succeed.

Manchester United tried to persuade Jack Grealish to leave Aston Villa when he was 16

Grealish, pictured in a NextGen Series match against Sporting Lisbon in 2012, was the gem of Villa's academy at the time and destined for great things

United have shortlisted £80million-rated Grealish, now 24, as one of their summer transfer targets with the attacking midfielder enjoying an excellent season on Villa's Premier League return.