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He became the most expensive British footballer ever by completing a historic £100million move to Manchester City on Thursday night.
And Jack Grealish stepped out for dinner with his girlfriend Sasha Attwood at new manager Pep Guardiola’s restaurant Tast after the transfer from Aston Villa was announced.
The footballer, 25, looked smart in a smart navy suit as he left the back entrance of the venue flanked by his security team.
Celebrate: Jack Grealish stepped out for dinner with his girlfriend Sasha Attwood at new manager Pep Guardiola’s restaurant Tast on Thursday night after £100m move to Manchester City
He teamed his suave suit with a crisp white shirt and wore bright white trainers to complete the look.
Jack left the restaurant and headed into his waiting taxi where blonde beauty Sasha, 25, was sat waiting.
The professional model has known Jack since their school days in Solihull, West Midlands – where Jack grew-up while playing for his boyhood club and the pair are said to have rekindled their romance in June.
The sports star was no doubt celebrating after becoming the most expensive British footballer ever by completing an historic £100million move to Manchester City.
Dinner out: Jack left the restaurant and headed into his waiting taxi where blonde beauty Sasha was sat waiting
Suave: The footballer, 25, looked smart in a smart navy suit as he left the back entrance of the venue flanked by his security team
The star underwent a medical at the City Football Academy and signed a six-year contract worth more than £200,000 a week.
Grealish revealed the driving force behind leaving his boyhood club, Aston Villa, was winning major trophies after City triggered the release clause in his contract last week.
‘I am over the moon. To come and play for a club like Manchester City is obviously massive for me personally,’ Grealish said.
‘It was obviously a difficult few months because I have been an Aston Villa fan for my whole life, but when I spoke to the manager here and you see what type of players they have got here, in the end it was something I couldn’t say no to. I am absolutely delighted to be here.
Milestone: The sports star was no doubt celebrating after becoming the most expensive British footballer ever by completing an historic £100million move to Manchester City
‘Trophies are the main reason why I joined. There are obviously a lot of reasons why I decided to come here. The manager has been a massive factor; playing under the best manager in the world was something I couldn’t really turn down.
‘Obviously the players that we have got here, I think everyone knows how much I admire Kevin [De Bruyne]. It is going to become a dream come true to play alongside him. But competing for major trophies is something that I wanted to do. It was something I couldn’t turn down.’
City spent heavily to bring in Pep Guardiola’s man. The British record has changed on 17 occasions since the Premier League’s inception, passed between the division’s largest clubs, with City now setting it for the second time after the £32.5m capture of Robinho in 2008.
Style: He teamed his suave suit with a crisp white shirt and wore bright white trainers to complete the look
City, who broke their club record last season when taking Ruben Dias from Benfica for £62m, have recouped around £50m in player sales this season. They hope to double that total before the end of the month, before factoring in the potential departure of Bernardo Silva.
Grealish added: ‘I have been here now for 24 hours and the whole club has been unbelievable for me and my family. It just feels like a family club, even when I am at the training ground, when I am here.
‘It seems like a proper football club going in the right direction, challenging for titles, for the Champions League and that is why I have come here.’
Moving on: The star underwent a medical at the City Football Academy and signed a six-year contract worth more than £200,000 a week
Earlier on Thursday, Grealish was seen leaving Manchester City headquarters as he closed in on his move.
Sportsmail revealed on Wednesday that Grealish had started his medical at City’s Etihad training ground after the Premier League champions activated a clause in his contract last week.
And Grealish was seen in the back of a large black van outside City’s training complex on Thursday with the final formalities of the deal later completed.
Grealish’s arrival is a huge statement of intent from City, who are prepared to break that transfer record again before the end of this month to land Harry Kane from Tottenham.
Change: Grealish revealed the driving force behind leaving his boyhood club, Aston Villa, was winning major trophies after City triggered the release clause in his contract last week
Grealish will now get the platform he has craved and many felt he deserved after his cameos for England at Euro 2020. The midfielder was mostly used from the substitutes’ bench by Gareth Southgate but was a regular face on the Three Lions’ route to the final.
He now joins a superb core of England talent currently in Pep Guardiola’s squad, with Phil Foden, Raheem Sterling, John Stones and Kyle Walker all playing at the Etihad Stadium.
Sportsmail revealed in March that City had become favourites to sign Grealish and they have maintained a dogged pursuit. They opened official talks last week and offered the £100m clause figure in full on Friday.
Exciting: Jack has just completed his record-breaking £100million move to Manchester City
Grealish returned from holiday in Dubrovnik at the start of this week and remained respectful to his boyhood club by resuming training. He spoke with sporting director Johan Lange and discussed taking the next step up in his career with chief executive Christian Purslow and chairman Nassef Sawiris.
Villa had tried hard to convince Grealish to stay. They had offered him a new deal, barely 11 months after he signed his last, and outlined their ambition to challenge the top six.
They underlined that ambition by pulling off a shock £30m swoop for Southampton striker Danny Ings – to take their spending to £60m in just one day.
Big move: The England star will look to carry his class from Villa to the Etihad this season
They confirmed the £30m arrival of Bayer Leverkusen winger Leon Bailey – a move exclusively revealed by Sportsmail last month – earlier in the day.
Villa have also added £40m man Emiliano Buendia to their squad from Norwich earlier this summer, who is very much an attacking in a similar mould to Grealish.
The Midlands’ club’s supporters also tried to convince their club captain to remain at the club this week whilst he was posing for pictures with Villa fans at their pre-season training camp.
Emotional: Grealish moves away from boyhood club Aston Villa despite signing a new deal a year ago
The past: The Villa scout Jim Thomas spotted Grealish playing for Highgate United aged six and didn’t hesitate to sign him up
The 25-year-old departs Villa having spent his entire career at his boyhood club, barring a season-long loan spell at Notts County in the 2013-14 season, with the midfielder developing from academy product to club captain.
He made 213 appearances at Villa Park since making his debut in May 2014, scoring 32 goals and registering 43 assists.
Last season was his best campaign to date, producing 12 assists for Smith’s Villa and netting six goals, which is particularly impressive given he missed a third of the season due to a shin injury.
His attention will now turn to helping City defend their Premier League title and could potentially make his debut in Sunday’s Community Shield at Wembley with Leicester.
Looking back: Grealish charted his progression through the youth ranks at Villa in an Instagram collage
Boss: The 25-year-old will now link up with Pep Guardiola’s (above) Premier League champions
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