Man City have paid Aston Villa the third instalment of their £100million Jack Grealish transfer this summer, Football Insider understands.
City paid a Premier League-record £100m for the England international, now 28, after triggering the release clause in his Villa contract in the summer of 2021.
A well-placed source has told Football Insider that the Grealish fee has been paid in three equal instalments across three transfer windows.
The final payment of £33m was due to be paid in the summer just gone.
The “mega-money” payment structure was agreed between the two clubs before City agreed to meet the £100m clause in Grealish’s Villa contract.
The England international also signed a six-year contract worth well in excess of £200,000-a-week as part of the deal that supercharged his salary as well as standing in the game.
The fee for Grealish exclipsed the £89.3m that Manchester United paid Juventus for Paul Pogba in 2016.
The Midlands giants had tried two years ago to convince their then captain and talisman to stay, offering him another new deal on improved terms.
But the opportunity to work with Pep Guardiola and challenge for the game’s top prizes proved impossible to resist.
It has not been a move without a hitch for Grealish, who struggled to nail down a starting spot at City in his first season as well as have the same influence he had at Villa.
But the attacking midfielder was a key player for the all-conquering City side that completed a historic treble last season with the Champions League final victory over Inter Milan in June.
Grealish started that match among his 50 City appearances last season, which included 12 Champions League and 23 Premier League starts.
Mainly operating on the left flank, the playmaker weighed in with five goals and supplied 11 assists.