In August 2021, Manchester City paid £100 million – a British-record fee at the time – to sign Jack Grealish from Aston Villa, banking on his flair, creativity and potential to be a marquee figure in Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering side.
He delivered in spades during City’s historic 2022/23 treble, but in the two seasons that have followed, his star has dimmed. Grealish now finds himself an outsider at City, omitted from their Club World Cup squad and facing a summer exit.
His fall from being a key figure in a team that won it all to a peripheral afterthought has been rapid.
And the 29-year-old now faces a crucial summer, with his future at club and international level on the line.
Grealish made 41 starts in all competitions during City’s 2022/23 campaign, scoring five goals and providing 11 assists in 50 total appearances. His impact was tangible, peppering the final third with dribbles, key passes and exuding his trademark confident swagger.
Since then, though, his involvement has declined sharply: In 2023/24, he made only 26 starts and scored just three goals in 36 total games. And last season he featured in just 20 Premier League matches (13 starts), scoring a solitary goal and assisting once.
Grealish’s minutes on the pitch tell an even starker story. He totalled 1,521 minutes across all competitions this past term – down from over 3,500 during City’s Treble run.
In the Premier League alone, he saw just 715 minutes of action in 2024/25 – the equivalent of only eight full games. In 2023/24, he started only 10 of 38 league games and featured in just 40 per cent of available league minutes.
Pep Guardiola has been candid, though diplomatic, about Grealish’s fading prominence in his plans. In March, he acknowledged that his other wide options have simply outperformed Grealish.
“Savinho is in better shape and everything than Jack and that’s why I play Savinho,” he said.
Perhaps the final straw came in May when City left Grealish out of their squad for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. For a player once essential to their greatest triumph, this omission is damning.
City’s decision to bolster their squad last summer with more adaptable wingers like Jeremy Doku and Savinho hinted at their lack of faith in the former Aston Villa captain.
And the subsequent additions of Omar Marmoush and Rayan Cherki all but confirm that Grealish is now surplus to requirements in east Manchester.
With his contract set to run to 2027, City will be determined to offload Grealish this summer, but there doesn’t appear to be a burgeoning market for his signature.
The Saudi Pro League continues to attract big names. There, Grealish could command a large wage with little tactical demand and more game time.
This move, however, would likely see the Birmingham-born star all but give up hope of getting back into the England squad ahead of next year’s World Cup – although a recent call-up for Ivan Toney, who plays for Saudi side Al-Ahly, has proven new Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel will not completely discount players who make lucrative moves to the Far East.
Napoli have been credited with an interest in Grealish and the freshly crowned Serie A champions make for an intriguing potential next stop.
There, he’d be able to link back up with City icon Kevin De Bruyne. And Scott McTominay’s assimilation to a starring role at the San Paolo last season showed how discarded Premier League stars can reinvent themselves in new surroundings.
It is difficult to imagine Grealish being a comfy fit under the notoriously tactically demanding Antonio Conte, however.
Bayer Leverkusen – now managed by former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag – are another European side said to be keen on taking Grealish overseas.
But a more suitable suitor might be found a little closer to home.
Tottenham and Everton are both said to hold strong interest in Grealish. It remains to be seen whether this could amount to a bid for his services or – given the 39-cap England player’s sizeable City salary – a loan offer.
Either way, such a move could revive Grealish’s England prospects under Tuchel as the German coach eyes 2026 World Cup qualification.
Remaining in the Premier League offers two main advantages for Grealish: familiarity with the environment and keeping his profile high for England selection.
His England involvement has stalled, with no appearances at international level since October 2023. A return to form at Premier League level would be hard to ignore as Tuchel assesses his attacking options.
Grealish’s career at City was initially promising but has ultimately been deeply disappointing. And it now seems to be ending.
Omitted from the Club World Cup, overshadowed by younger, more dynamic players in his position and unable to make a splash in the opportunities he has been afforded, his exit appears imminent.
Where he lands will define his next chapter.
For a player once a central catalyst for a historic treble, Grealish now must find a place where he can play and thrive again. With plenty to prove and a World Cup on the horizon, a crucial summer and a key coming season awaits one of English football’s stalled talents.
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