Who is Jacob Greaves? The 'outstanding' player wanted by Aston Villa, Forest and Brentford

The latest Aston Villa transfer news as BirminghamLive takes a closer look at Hull City's Jacob Greaves after he was linked with the Villans

Ste McGovern Sub-Editor & Football Writer

15:45, 01 Mar 2023Updated 15:45, 01 Mar 2023

Hull City defender Jacob Greaves(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)

After a quiet January transfer window Aston Villa are looking ahead to the summer with reports linking them with a move for Hull City defender Jacob Greaves.

The 22-year-old is attracting transfer speculation as he continues to develop as a player with the Tigers. Nottingham Forest and Brentford are also interested in signing him, according to the Daily Mail.

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But who is Jacob Greaves? Born in Yorkshire, football very much runs in the family. His dad, Mark, also played for Hull City between 1996 and 2002 before embarking on a journeyman career that saw him take in spells at York City and Burton Albion among others.

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Mark could play in either defence or midfield, while Jacob is strictly a defensive player. He is comfortable at playing as either a centre-back or left-back and has performed both roles for Hull this season.

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Standing at 1.93 meters tall, or 6ft3, he is proficient in the air, winning 3.42 aerial duels per 90 minutes, according to FBref. He also chips in with 2.44 tackles per 90, putting him in the 99th percentile among centre-backs - meaning he's among the busiest in the game.

A regular starter for Hull, Greaves has already made 118 first-team appearances in just his third season at the club. He came through the club's youth system before being promoted to the senior team, at which point he was sent on loan to Cheltenham Town in 2019.

It took him three years to get his first career goal, which came against Rotherham United last October. After finally getting that monkey off his back he has become somewhat prolific, netting a further three times in the Championship as well as providing two assists.

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Despite his young age Greaves has shown he has leadership qualities. He was named vice-captain ahead of the 2022/23 campaign and was worn the armband on eight occasions this season. He is comfortable at moving the ball forward by either passing or carrying it, although his pass completion rate of 78 percent could do with some improving.

Greaves was named the "outstanding performer" of last season by our colleagues at HullLive. "For a player aged just 21 in his first campaign at Championship level, in a newly-promoted team, Greaves has been nothing short of brilliant at the heart of the Tigers' defence," wrote Barry Cooper.

"He's played every single minute of action all season, some going for a youngster in that position. Yes, he's made mistakes, of course, he has. Defenders with far more experience than him have made and continue to make mistakes, and generally, when a player in his position makes one it will result in a goal or penalty. It's been a tough learning curve for Greaves, but the way he's carried himself throughout shows what a talent he is."

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After missing out on a call-up to the England Under-21 squad last March, he said: "It’s a dream of mine to play in the England set-up which I’ve never had the opportunity to do.

"Hopefully, I can do that in the future and I’ll carry on trying to do what I’m doing week in and week out, keep improving and then hopefully I can impress one of the boys up there and show them that I’ve got something to add to the squad."

Greaves could follow the path set by Tyrone Mings, who became an England international after leaving Bournemouth in 2019. He has gone on to win 17 caps for the national side.

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Middlesbrough attempted to sign Greaves during last summer's transfer window, but saw their bid rejected by Hull. He signed a new contract that ties him to the club until 2026, with an option for another year.

Hull reportedly value Greaves at around £7million, matching Transfermarkt's valuation of the player. If a bidding war ensues in the summer then Villa may have to shell out more than that to secure the young man's services.

Do Villa need reinforcements at the back? Comment below!

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