Aston Villa's financial blushes may have been spared by the arrival of new investors, but the departure of Jack Grealish retains a feeling of inevitability with Tottenham continuing their pursuit of the 22-year-old. 

After a thoroughly impressive return to first-team football last season, Jack Grealish has become the subject of a summer transfer saga. Tony Xia's dire financial situation had initially made the sale of Grealish something of a necessity, but the fresh investment has eased the club's need to offload their crown jewel this summer.

And now that Villa's transfer embargo has been lifted, they are looking to make fresh acquisitions ahead of the new season, with Ben Woodburn on Steve Bruce's radar according to the Daily Telegraph.

The report claims that Villa have made contact with Liverpool in an effort to sign the 18-year-old playmaker on loan this summer, and the fact Woodburn will not travel to Evian with the rest of the first-team squad suggests a loan move could well be on the cards .

Whilst Tottenham Hotspur are being consistently linked with a move for Jack Grealish, Villa's interest in Woodburn suggests they are looking to secure the services of a replacement before they sanction his sale.

And considering the level of potential Woodburn has demonstrated throughout his development at youth level, Villa are certainly looking in the right direction for a new playmaker.

Woodburn was handed his Wales debut at just 17-years-of-age during a World Cup qualifier against Austria as a 69th minute substitute, and he instantly made himself a national hero just 5 minutes later by scoring an emphatic strike from the edge of the area which lifted the roof off the Cardiff City Stadium.

From that moment it appeared that the next star of Welsh football had been born, but his career has rather fizzled out since then whilst he has quietly continued his development in the background at Liverpool.

But with a full season of training alongside some of the world's most talented players under his belt, Woodburn should be more than ready to step up to senior football next season and showcase his huge talent during a loan spell at Villa Park.

Although he is not blessed with the experience which Grealish has, there is no doubt that Woodburn's technical quality, whether that be on the left-wing or in a number ten role, will shine through and help Villa to quickly put the disappointment of Grealish's departure behind them.

There is no doubt that Grealish's departure would be a blow for Villa ahead of the new season, but the arrival of Woodburn would help the club to quickly adapt to life without their academy product pulling the strings in midfield.

Aston Villa fans - thoughts? Let us know below!