Grealish's future plunged into fresh doubt after Guardiola's Man City decision

Jack Grealish may be forced to seek a transfer away from Manchester City this summer after Pep Guardiola made it clear when he stands in the squad on the final day of the season

Jack Grealish’s long-term future at Manchester City is looking increasingly uncertain after he failed to make the squad for their final Premier League game of the season. Grealish has endured a poor season at City and has struggled to convince Pep Guardiola he is deserving of game time of late.

The 29-year-old winger has started just seven league games this season, with just one of those coming in 2025. He has contributed three goals and five assists in 32 appearances across all competitions, but has become increasingly marginalised, with Guardiola preferring to play Savinho, Jeremy Doku, Phil Foden or Omar Marmoush on the left wing.

Grealish was an unused substitute in City’s 1-0 defeat by Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final and has been linked with a move in the summer transfer window. That possibility has become more likely with The Telegraph reporting that he’s been left out of the squad to face Fulham on Sunday.

The England international will hold talks with directors of football Txiki Begiristain and Hugo Viana after the season concludes. And although he has two years left on his contract, a transfer appears a distinct possibility with the current situation deemed untenable.

Guardiola’s stance on the £100million player was made extremely clear when he brought on 19-year-old Claudio Echeverri instead of Grealish at Wembley. “We didn’t talk, I didn’t talk with him,” the City boss explained afterwards.

“I’m saying these things, and people don’t believe me, but it belongs to the agents and the club and Txiki, in this case, and Hugo as well. Both will decide. What is going to happen will happen, but we are going to start to play again, but of course he has to come back to play minutes to start to play again.”

Grealish’s fate this summer could well be linked with Guardiola’s stated desire to work with a smaller squad next season. Abdukodir Khusanov, Savinho, James McAtee, Echeverri and Rico Lewis all missed out on a place in the 20-man matchday squad for the recent 3-1 win over Bournemouth, prompting a plea from the City boss.

HAVE YOUR SAY! Where should Jack Grealish move? Comment below.

He said: “I said to the club I don't want that [a bigger squad]. I don't want to leave five or six players in the freezer. I don't want that. I will quit. Make a shorter squad, I will stay. It's impossible for my soul to [tell] my players in the tribune [stands] that they cannot play.”

He added: “Maybe [for] three, four months we couldn't select 11 players, we didn't have defenders, it was so difficult. After, people came back, but next season it cannot be like that.

“As a manager I cannot train 24 players and every time I select I have to have four, five, six stay in Manchester at home because they cannot play. This is not going to happen. I said to the club I don't want that.”