Aston Villa held exploratory talks over a potential move for Jack Grealish this summer but Unai Emery's lack of enthusiasm effectively ruled out a return to his boyhood club, according to new reports.
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The 30-year-old's future at Manchester City has been one of the most prominent subplots of the summer window, with the England international entering the final year of his contract at the Etihad Stadium having spent 2025-26 on loan at Everton, where he registered eight goal involvements in 22 appearances before a foot fracture ended his campaign prematurely in January.
A return to Aston Villa, where Grealish came through the academy and established himself as one of the most exciting players in the country before his £100 million departure in 2021, had been among the scenarios most widely discussed by supporters and pundits since it became clear that Manchester City were open to parting with the winger before Tuesday's deadline.
City boss Enzo Maresca said it was his "duty to coach Jack and to try to get the best" from him while leaving the door open on his future with one window week remaining.
Grealish himself missed the 4-1 win over Crystal Palace on the opening Premier League weekend, with a return to Everton on loan ultimately confirmed on deadline day.
Everton have announced the signing of Jack Grealish on loan from Manchester City for a second consecutive season.cityxtra.co.ukEverton Confirm Jack Grealish Loan Signing From Manchester City
Everton have announced the signing of Jack Grealish on loan from Manchester City for a second consecutive season.
Report: Villa's Grealish approach met with limited appetite from Emery
According to Jacob Tanswell of The Athletic, Aston Villa did sound out Grealish's camp at some point during the summer window, but Unai Emery did not show much appetite for the signing.
Beyond the manager's hesitancy, a structural obstacle also closed off the loan route: Villa had already used their Premier League loan slots, meaning any move for Grealish would have needed to be a permanent deal: a financial commitment that adds another layer of complexity to a pursuit that was already short of enthusiasm from the coaching side.
The combination of Emery's limited interest and the constraints on Villa's squad-building options effectively ended any realistic prospect of a return to Villa Park, despite the obvious narrative appeal of a homecoming for one of the club's most beloved former players and an ex-skipper.
Manchester City's 2026 summer transfer window: how it unfolded
It has been one of the most consequential windows in Manchester City's recent history, defined as much by the scale of the departures as by the ambition of the arrivals.
As the transfer deadline passes, here is a comprehensive round-up of every single deal completed by Hugo Viana and Manchester City across the summer of 2026.cityxtra.co.uk40 Man City Transfers Completed in the 2026 Summer Window - Full List
As the transfer deadline passes, here is a comprehensive round-up of every single deal completed by Hugo Viana and Manchester City across the summer of 2026.
Rodri, Savinho, Tijjani Reijnders, Omar Marmoush, John Stones, Nathan Ake and Nico Gonzalez all left the Etihad Stadium across the course of the summer, with the exits of Bernardo Silva and James Trafford also confirmed earlier in the window.
In their place, Maresca and director of football Hugo Viana oversaw the arrivals of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for £116 million, Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille for €100 million, Allan Elias from Palmeiras for €40 million and Iliman Ndiaye from Everton for £65 million; with Geronimo Rulli, Jeremy Monga and Mishel Nduka also joining across different levels of the squad.
Enzo Fernandez completed a British record-equalling £125 million move to Manchester City from Chelsea on deadline day, adding further depth and quality to a star-studded Maresca midfield that has witnessed a sweeping rebuild since the start of the summer.
Grealish's Everton loan keeps him in the Premier League and gives him a full season to push for a permanent exit next summer when his contract expires, while City's own rebuild takes shape under a new manager with a new dressing room and some of the most significant transfer activity the club has seen in a single window.