Aston Villa manager Dean Smith has indicated that Jack Grealish won’t come on the cheap for his suitors irrespective of whether the Villains get promoted or not. The Villains skipper penned a fresh five-year deal with the club in September and he has since played an influential role in the club’s progress to the Championship play-off final for the second-straight season.

Speaking in a press conference, Smith highlighted that the midfielder committed to the club on a new long-term deal at the beginning of the season and that has put them in a strong position to command a significant sum for a future sale, he said: “He’s signed a brand-new contract at the start of the season, committing himself to the football club. He loves Aston Villa and he’ll want nothing more than to get promoted with Aston Villa. If we don’t go up he’ll cost someone a hell of a lot of money if they want to buy him. He is committed to Aston Villa and we’ve not even spoken about it otherwise.”

Aston Villa manager Dean Smith has hailed the performance of goalkeeper Jed Steer as the Villains progressed to their second-straight Championship play-off final. The Villains faced off against arch-rivals West Bromwich Albion during the playoff semi-final where they progressed on penalties after the scores were level (2-2) after both legs.

Speaking after the game, Smith praised the impact of Steer, who had spent time on loan with Charlton Athletic during the first half of the season, he said: “It’s amazing what can happen and how opportunities arise. Orjan was doing well but snapped his Achilles and the phone call went in to get Jed back and he’s been brilliant for us.

Aston Villa’s on-loan striker Tammy Abraham has said that the team must avoid any complacency in the forthcoming matches as they seek to qualify for the end of the season playoffs. The west Midlands side were without Tyrone Mings and Jack Grealish for the recent meeting against Bristol City but they still managed to secure a 2-1 victory at the weekend.

Speaking after the game, Abraham, who scored the opening goal from the penalty spot, said that the club can look far ahead for the timebeing and they must concentrate on a game-by-game basis as they seek to finish in the top six, he said: “We can’t get complacent now. We have to go into every game like it is our last and put in performances.”

Port Vale are interested in the possibility of signing Aston Villa defender Mitch Clark on a permanent basis after the 20-year-old made a strong impact in his time with the club. The defender has been able to play as a wing back and as a fullback on both sides. James Gibbons was recently replaced by Mitch Clark on the right side to great effect. As a result, the 20-year-old has been able to play in almost every match for Port Vale since making the switch to the League Two outfit in August. It has so far been a struggling season for Port Vale but the club have been able to remain outside the bottom three in the last few weeks – thanks to the victories over Yeovil Town and Mansfield Town.

After having played such a crucial role inPort Vale’s survival hopes so far this season, it is not a surprise that the club are interested in bringing Clark on a permanent basis.Port Vale’s assistant manager Dave Kevan claims that a bid from his club should be coming up in the next few weeks. Since youngsters do not receive many opportunities, they need to grab every chance that come their way and Clark has been able to do exactly that, according to Kevan.

Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig are reportedly looking into a possible move for Tammy Abraham this summer as they seek to overcome the potential departure of Timo Werner from the club’s ranks. Werner has been a crucial performer for Leipzig since their promotion to the top tier but they are considering his sale amid the recent contract standoff.

According to The Sun, the German outfit are likely to consider the sale of Werner in the summer, should he remain reluctant to extend his contract beyond the summer of 2020. It is added that the club are already looking into reinforcements with Chelsea’s Abraham identified as one of the possible targets for the forthcoming transfer window.

Aston Villa coach John Terry has sympathised with manager Maurizio Sarri following Chelsea’s League Cup final defeat at the hands of Manchester City. The Blues produced a resolute defensive performance to keep the holders at bay for most of the game but ultimately, the Citizens reigned supreme through a penalty shootout.

However, the game was not free from any controversy after the altercation between KepaArrizabalaga and Sarri became the focus of attention at the Wembley Stadium. With minutes left before the shootout, Sarri had appeared determined to replace Kepa with Willy Caballero in goal but the substitution never happened with the Spaniard deciding to stay put on the playing field.

Aston Villa goalkeeper Lovre Kalinic has revealed his delight after bagging his first clean sheets during the Championship clash against Reading on the road. The west Midlands outfit could only muster a 0-0 draw against the Royals on Saturday and that came about with an impressive performance from Kalinic, who made a couple of notable saves.

Speaking after the game, the Croatia international was pleased to secure his maiden shutout for the team after previously going four matches without doing so. He added that he required some time to adapt to the demands of the Championship and is hoping to improve the club’s defensive statistic for the remainder of the season.

Aston Villa boss Dean Smith has said that the club will seek to get Scott Hogan back to scoring ways after returning from a long-term injury. The 26-year-old made his first start of the campaign during the disappointing 3-0 defeat to Swansea City in the FA Cup third round but there were nonetheless positives with the striker handed two scoring chances at the beginning.

Speaking after the game, Smith highlighted that things could have been different for the marksman, had he had better luck during the Cup meeting versus the Swans. He added that the club are depending on Hogan to start finding the scoresheet regularly, given they are primed to lose Tammy Abraham, who appears set to join Wolverhampton Wanderers this month.

Championship side Aston Villa have confirmed the signing of Lovre Kalinic from Gent on a four-and-a-half year deal.

The Croatian goalkeeper, who has been a long-term target for the Championship club, is scheduled to join them during the upcoming transfer window after the club agreed on a £14m package with their Belgian counterparts.

Aston Villa manager Dean Smith claims that the team has to adapt to several challenges that may come their way. Just after the international break, Aston Villa head back into the domestic competitions to take on a local rival in the form of Birmingham City. It is a game of great magnitude for Smith, who has just replaced Steve Bruce as the new Villa boss. After having picked up a crucial 3-0 success over Derby County in one of the best performances of the season, Smith will have reasons to be confident that his team can do well in this first Midlands derby experience for him as a manager at Villa.

Smith does not expect the free-flowing football seen at Pride Park to be repeated in this game because local derbies are always extremely difficult. Furthermore, Birmingham have also been in a good frame of mind over the last few months and this has enabled them to make up several places in the league table. Aston Villa, though, last suffered a loss against Birmingham back in 2005 and they have since been unbeaten in 12 matches against their local rivals. The difference between the two clubs in the Championship this season’s only goal difference. Smith does not have a lot of injury problems but the club’s preparation has been affected by internationals.