Aston Villa finally make the contract offer fans were hoping for

Earlier this week, Aston Villa offered a new contract to Jack Grealish, after the 19-year-old impressed early on in the season. As much as Villa fans love Grealish, this wasn't the contract news they'd been waiting for. No, fans weren't going to rest until they knew that the club were in negotiations to make sure that Fabian Delph remained at Villa Park.

Good news, then! According to the Daily Mail, Villa have offered Delph a four-year deal. The midfielder has been at Villa since joining from Leeds in 2009, but a knee injury in spring 2010 meant fans didn't get to see much of the potential talent that had been brought in. It wasn't until the end of 2012-2013 that Delph began to look solid once more -- and not til last season that the glimpses of his greatness truly began to appear, resulting in his being named the player of the season.

This season, Delph has only attracted more attention, resulting in his callups for the England squad. But, more worryingly for Villa fans, he's also attracted the attention of other clubs, including, if rumors are to be believed, Everton and Arsenal.

So Villa absolutely must get this contract wrapped up. Otherwise, not only does Delph go, Delph leaves on a free transfer. He's an integral part of the midfield and if the club wants to continue improving, he's gotta be locked down. Let's hope Randy Lerner told Paul Lambert that in this case, he's allowed to flash a little cash.