Chelsea are ready to rival Manchester City in the race to sign Aston Villa star Jack Grealish this summer, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: All roads seemed to point towards City move

Manchester City were named as the favourites to sign Grealish back in March, and since then, rumours have continued to gather pace.

Grealish has told friends he is very interested in a move to the Etihad to work with Pep Guardiola, with reports in recent days claiming City are ready to smash the all-time Premier League transfer record in order to land the 25-year-old.

The Latest: Source shares Blues twist

Football Insider shared a story on Grealish’s future on Tuesday morning, hours prior to his starring display for England against the Czech Republic at the European Championships.

A Chelsea source informed the site that the Blues have a ‘concrete interest’ in the attacking midfielder and are ready to push City all the way this summer.

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has made it clear to the Blues hierarchy that he will finance big-money signings like Grealish if deals can be agreed.

The Verdict: Could it be good news for Villa?

This latest update could actually be good news for Villa in what could be a difficult scenario. Villa are under no pressure to part ways with Grealish, who is under contract at Villa Park until 2025.

The only way Villa could be forced into selling their captain is if he makes it clear to the club he wants a move away and a remarkable bid is received.

Chelsea now being ready to rival City for his signature may only push the price up for Grealish in a possible bidding war, should Villa have to look into a potential sale.

Villa could therefore reap the financial benefits should a move materialise to either Stamford Bridge or the Etihad, with both clubs now seemingly extremely keen on Grealish’s services.

In other news: John McGinn linked with Villa exit, find out more here.