Jack Grealish has been linked with a move away from Manchester City this summer after falling down the pecking order under Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium
10:10, 20 May 2025
Jack Grealish didn't get a kick in the FA Cup Final
Jack Grealish didn't get a kick in the FA Cup Final(Image: Getty Images)
Pep Guardiola has hinted that Jack Grealish's future at Manchester City is up in the air, with a verdict expected when the season wraps up.
The England ace, who joined the Citizens from Aston Villa for a whopping £100million four years ago, has seen his star fade at the Etihad after a blinding run in the 2023 treble-winning season.
The 29-year-old has been warming the bench more than he'd like this season, with just seven starts in the Premier League. And he was left twiddling his thumbs during Saturday's FA Cup final loss to Crystal Palace, when Guardiola bafflingly handed 19-year-old Claudio Echeverri his debut ahead of the £100m man.
Yet Guardiola has made it clear that the jury's still out on Grealish' future, with talks due between the departing director of football Txiki Begiristain, Hugo Viana, and the Birmingham-born star's squad of representatives.
Guardiola said: "We didn't talk, I didn't talk with him. People don't believe me, but these things belong to the agents and the club and Txiki, and in this case Hugo as well. Both will decide. What is going to happen will happen, but he has to come back to start to play minutes again."
Pep Guardiola
Pep Guardiola has admitted his future is in the air(Image: Getty Images)
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However, Guardiola admitted he understands why Grealish is unhappy with his playing time, reports the Mirror.
He admitted: "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."
One player definitely on his way out is Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgian is set to bid farewell in his last home game for the squad in Tuesday's Premier League clash with Bournemouth.
The 33-year-old midfield maestro's contract is up this summer, and he'll be leaving after a stunning ten years at the Etihad, bagging a hefty haul of 16 trophies including two Premier League crowns and the Champions League.
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Guardiola has acknowledged that filling De Bruyne's boots will be no walk in the park but believes, despite the Belgian's own thoughts to the contrary, that it's time to turn the page.