Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has given an update on Jack Grealish's future at the Etihad Stadium after a difficult season for the England international
Jack Grealish's Manchester City adventure looks like it could be over. The £100million signing played his part in City's 2022-23 Treble triumph, but the last two years have been a struggle.
The former Aston Villa star has played just 39 league games over the last two campaigns, with many of those outings coming as a substitute. He has often been overlooked in favour of other options from the bench, and manager Pep Guardiola made an admission about the 29-year-old's future after City's FA Cup final defeat - where Grealish was an unused sub.
“We didn’t talk, I didn’t talk with him," Guardiola said. "People don’t believe me, but these things belong to the agents and the club and Txiki [Begiristain], and in this case Hugo [Viana] as well. Both will decide. What is going to happen will happen, but he has to come back to start to play minutes again.
“It’s not (only) Jack. There is not one player in my locker room, and I think all the locker rooms around the world, that is happy (when they) do not play. When the team is winning and winning they have to figure out how everything happens – but they are not happy.
“They are here to play and, when they don’t play, they are not satisfied. That is the normal position in all the clubs.”
Where might Grealish end up if City do decide to cash in, though? Mirror Football has explored some of the opportunities which could come his way.
Aston Villa
Grealish developed into a local hero at Villa Park, helping his boyhood club climb back into the Premier League and cement their place there. It was during his Villa spell that he emerged as a full England international, too, and there was a huge amount of pride despite him moving north in 2021.
There's no guarantee Marcus Rashford will stay after his loan, potentially freeing up space down the left. Plenty would surely welcome back Grealish with open arms and give him a chance to revive his career back home.
He wouldn't be the first big-money player to enjoy this kind of return. Gareth Bale was given one last hurrah at Spurs as a loanee in the 2020-21 season, scoring a healthy 16 goals in all competitions, and anything close to that at Grealish would surely count as a success.
AC Milan
Grealish's club and international team-mate Kyle Walker has thrived on loan at Milan, potentially leading to a permanent switch and he isn't the only Englishman to impress there. Ruben Loftus-Cheek was one of the stars at the San Siro last term, while Fikayo Tomori's form there earned him an England recall in 2023 and Tammy Abraham scored some big cup goals during a loan spell this season.
Milan are set for a bit of an attacking overhaul in the summer after missing out on Europe. Abraham will return to parent club Roma and Joao Felix could find himself back at Chelsea, while Luka Jovic has been tipped for an exit and there could well be renewed interest in Rafa Leao.
There have been plenty of big-name Englishman trying their luck for the Rossoneri even before the current crowd, from Ray Wilkins to David Beckham. Why not add another to the list?
Fenerbahce
Sometimes all it takes for a player to rediscover their best form is the right manager. Jose Mourinho has been that man for a number of players over the years, so could he do it for Grealish?
Mourinho might not be the same manager he was during his peak years, but he has still led Fenerbahce to a second-place finish in Turkey this season. He also took the Istanbul team into the Europa League round of 16, only to suffer a penalty shoot-out defeat against Rangers.
He achieved that with a number of players whose Premier League careers have been and gone, including centre-back Caglar Soyuncu and midfielder Fred. Room for one more?
Al Hilal
Grealish might not be in the mood to leave European football for the riches of the Saudi Pro League just yet. A number of younger players have made the switch, though, and he could yet follow the example set by the likes of former City team-mate Riyad Mahrez and ex-Villa striker Jhon Duran.
If that's what he fancies, Al Hilal might be a good fit. The Jeddah club have a gap in their squad after Neymar's mid-season exit, while Grealish's one-time City colleague Joao Cancelo is already on their books.
Much would depend on the manager, of course. Jorge Jesus left in early May after failing to defend the Saudi Pro League title, and his successor has yet to be appointed.
Arsenal
Okay, hear us out here. If Jack Grealish wants to stay at the business end of the Premier League then Arsenal and Mikel Arteta could be the answer.
Some might point to Arteta's failure to get the best out of Raheem Sterling this term, but Grealish could well be a different story. Especially if there's less disruption elsewhere in the front line.
If Leandro Trossard passes on a new deal and ends up leaving this summer, they'll need someone capable of offering big-game experience and quality from out wide. Now, Arsenal and City agreeing on a fee? That might complicate things.