Manchester City will listen to offers for Jack Grealish this summer, but his £300,000 per week wages may scupper a permanent exit, amid links with Newcastle and interest from Everton.
The 29-year-old joined City from Aston Villa for a club-record fee of £100m in 2021, but has found consistent minutes hard to come by this season.
Jeremy Doku is now ahead of Grealish in the pecking order, and the England star started just seven Premier League games this season, hence why City are willing to consider an exit.
A move away from the Etihad may also be the best thing for Grealish’s career. He will want to ensure he gets a spot in England’s 2026 World Cup squad, after being dropped by Thomas Tuchel.
According to the Daily Star, following ‘talks between Pep Guardiola and Grealish, it has become clear that a fresh start somewhere else would suit both parties.’
While City’s chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak will be ‘keen to recoup a significant chunk of what it cost his club to sign Grealish in the first place’, but a loan move is the most likely outcome due to his sky-high wages.
We could therefore see a similar situation to what we have seen with Manchester United wingers Antony and Jadon Sancho this summer, who they desperately tried to sell but ultimately had to sanction season-long loan deals to Real Betis and Chelsea respectively as no-one would match their huge salaries.
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Newcastle, Grealish links downplayed; Everton a team to watch
Newcastle have been linked with Grealish in the past and the lack of a transfer fee could catch Eddie Howe’s attention as he looks to build a Champions League-ready squad.
However, T he Manchester Evening News have reported that the Magpies are ‘not currently interested in pursuing a move for Grealish given the options they possess in his position, as well as financial concerns.’
Grealish generally plays on the left-wing and Anthony Gordon has that spot in the Newcastle XI nailed down after another impressive season, which has seen him picked ahead of Grealish for England.
TEAMtalk revealed on May 26 that Everton will be a team to watch in the race for Grealish, should he become available on loan this summer.
The Toffees have some wiggle room on the wage bill after announcing that top earner Abdoulaye Doucoure, along with four loanees, are set to leave the club this summer. Also leaving are Ashley Young, Asmir Begovic and Joao Virginia, while the jury is still out on Idrissa Gana Gueye, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Michael Keane and Seamus Coleman.
As we have consistently reported, Everton are in the market for new wingers and with Jack Harrison being one of the departees, their hunt is expected to ramp up in the coming weeks.
Harrison generally plays on the right flank and Grealish on the left, but David Moyes wants to bring in players with Premier League experience and Grealish has that in abundance.
There has been no formal enquiry from Everton for Grealish yet but that could change after the Toffees decide on the futures of other players in the near future.
Guardiola: ‘Unbelievable’ Jack Grealish ‘needs’ to play
Grealish was left out of City’s squad entirely in their final Premier League game of the season against Fulham, and in a press conference Guardiola hinted that he may have to go to ‘another place’ to play consistent football.
“It was selection,” Guardiola said, explaining Grealish’s absence.
“The last two months, month and a half there were five or six players at home every time and this time I decided for these guys. No more than that.
“Of course Jack has to play. He’s an unbelievable player that has to play football every three days. It didn’t happen this season and last season either.
“He needs to do it. With us or another place. It’s a question for Jack, his agent and the club.”
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