There remains much unnecessary talk surrounding Jack Grealish's life away from football, yet focusing in on his performances on the pitch, it's fair to say the Manchester City man is leaving a lot to be desired.
Plucked from Aston Villa on a then British-record £100m deal back in the summer of 2021, the 29-year-old has scored just 16 goals and provided only 23 assists in 151 games in all competitions.
Jack Grealish GA at Aston Villa
Of course, judging a player of his ilk purely on goal contributions would be a mistake, with the England star having been central to the club's treble success, despite only registering five goals and 11 assists that season, with teammate Kyle Walker lauding him as a "nightmare" to play against.
That said, it would be fair to say that the £300k-per-week man has regressed since then, albeit with injuries playing their part, having failed to score a single Premier League goal since December 2023.
With just two goals and five assists to his name in 2024/25 in total, the experienced playmaker has been usurped by the lively Jeremy Doku down the left flank, with the January signing of Omar Marmoush also putting his Etihad future further into doubt.
Jack Grealish's future at Man City
As Caught Offside noted last month, there is set to be something of a 'squad evolution' at the Etihad this summer, with Kevin De Bruyne among those looking set to depart amid his expiring contract.
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According to the latest reports, Grealish could follow the Belgian in moving on elsewhere at the end of the season, despite the Englishman still having over two years left to run on his existing deal.
The suggestion is that City are willing to accept an offer for their struggling star if their asking price is met, with the wideman said to be 'unhappy' at the club at present.
This comes amid reports back in January that Tottenham Hotspur were among those keen on signing Grealish, with it looking as if Guardiola and co are happy to sanction an exit for a player who is now deemed to be worth around £38m, according to Transfermarkt.
Having fallen behind the likes of Marmoush, Doku and Savinho of late - with further competition on the flanks also provided by Phil Foden and the returning Oscar Bobb - Grealish's exit would seemingly not provide too much of a blow for the Citizens, despite his contribution in recent seasons.
How Grealish compares to PL wingers - 2024/25
Stat
Non-penalty goals
Assists
Pass completion
Progressive passes
Progressive carries
Successful take-ons
Tackles
Interceptions
Stats via FBref
Equally, it looks as if the Manchester side are already brewing a perfect, ready-made replacement in the academy ranks too, in the form of 19-year-old, Emilio Lawrence.
Man City's academy Grealish replacement
Following the success of parachuting Foden and Rico Lewis into the first-team squad in recent years, Guardiola has again turned to the youth ranks this season, with Nico O'Reilly - who scored a brace in the FA Cup triumph over Plymouth Argyle - the standout graduate in 2024/25 to date.
O'Reilly had been a central figure in a blossoming U21 side, prior to his promotion, with the aforementioned Lawrence showing signs that he could well follow suit, amid his dazzling form at Premier League 2 level.
In that competition so far this season, the teenage winger has already chalked up seven goals and a further seven assists in just 17 appearances, with City's U21s currently five points clear at the top of the table.
Grealish
The Manchester-born, Scotland youth international has been in the City ranks since signing from Premier League rivals Everton in 2022, with transfer guru Fabrizio Romano describing that capture as another "big statement" for the Etihad side.
Also lauded as a "top talent" by Romano, young Lawrence would be a perfect replacement for Grealish on the left flank, having contributed 17 goals and assists in just 31 games in total for the U21 side, as per Transfermarkt.
An 'incredibly dangerous forward player' - as per the club's official website - Lawrence boasts a mouthwatering combination of fleet-footed skill and electric pace, as well as an obvious end product.
In the pipeline
In The Pipeline
Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.
There may well be a desire to dip into the market once again this summer, should Grealish lead what could be a raft of exits, yet with the academy - who have seen the U18s reach the FA Youth Cup semi-finals - currently blossoming, Guardiola should consider handing a chance to those already at the club.
Lawrence may not be the only standout attacker in a frightening youth side, although he's certainly doing enough to warrant an opportunity at senior level.
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