The former Aston Villa captain and promotion hero has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons
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Sport
Updated 11:50, 11 Mar 2025
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has been criticised for his handling of Jack Grealish
Man City boss Pep Guardiola with Jack Grealish
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Jack Grealish will be sold this summer as he is not part of Pepe Guardiola’s rebuilding plans at Manchester City.
That is the verdict of pundit and former Premier League chairman Simon Jordan, who insists the former Aston Villa captain will be on the move because “the economics don't make sense to keep him”.
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New doubts over Grealish’s future at the Etihad have been sparked by pictures of the Villa academy product apparently visiting a number of venues in the north east last week – including a social club where he reportedly bought drinks for locals.
Grealish was not breaking any club rules, with the squad having been given two days off, and City boss Guardiola played down the incident when quizzed about it before Saturday’s defeat at Nottingham Forest.
But substitute Grealish did not feature in the game, and pundits have claimed that was a much more telling comment by Guardiola on the behavior of the England international.
Jordan took up the subject on TalkSport, telling listeners: “I think the way he (Pep) answered, or didn't answer, spoke volumes.
“I mean he will judge the situation more by what Grealish does on the training field than necessarily what camera shots he sees of him on social media.
“If he compounds what he sees on social media alongside a lack of application or outcome on a training field, then he'll be more concerned about it.”
Looking more broadly at Grealish future with City, Jordan added: “This is a guy that's played 90 games in four years for Man City after being bought for 100 million quid. He's got two years left on the contract.
“He'll be sold this summer because the economics of it don't make any sense to keep him any longer.
“City are going to rebuild. I don't think they're going to rebuild around him. He's 30 years of age this year.
“He's on their balance sheet for 35 million quid. If they want to get some sort of return on him, and be able to move forward, they'll sell him. It'll be interesting to see who wants to buy him.”
City, Premier League champions for the past four years, have had their toughest season under Guardiola. Defeat at the City Ground was their nine league loss of the season, already more than they suffered in the previous two years combined, when they were dumped out of the Champions League after the initial league stage.
Jordan, the former Crustal Palace owner, said: “I don't see Jack Grealish being part of Man City's rebuild. If he can't be part of their solutions now, why would it be part of their rebuild?
“They're looking around for people to find their way, they're floundering. They're looking around for leaders to be able to get past what's created this problem, whatever it is, this lack of stability, or whatever it is that we're seeing in Manchester City that everyone thought was inexplicable.
“Does anybody seriously believe that a guy that's not being part of the mix now is going to be a part of the future?”
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