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Man City sent stark Jack Grealish message amid split transfer priority

Jack Grealish

Jack Grealish(Image: Getty Images)

Manchester City supporters believe the time is right to sell Jack Grealish, but fans are split on the priority positions Pep Guardiola should address this summer.

Grealish has slipped down the pecking order at the Etihad and was left out of the squad entirely for the final day of the Premier League season at Fulham. The 29-year-old barely featured in the top flight in the second half of the campaign and his future now looks to be away from City.

Reports suggest he could be left out of the squad for the Club World Cup this summer and he has been linked with a host of clubs. City paid £100m to bring the England international to the Etihad from Aston Villa and he was a key player in the treble winning season.

But he has been unable to hit those heights since and, in a survey conducted by the Manchester Evening News, 68 per cent of respondents believe City should sell Grealish this summer with only 23 per cent voting to keep him. Nine per cent believing a loan exit would be the best option.

Supporters believe three or four new faces are required with 64 per cent backing that volume of arrivals, 21 per cent seeking five or more and 13 per cent settling for one or two.

But which position needs addressing most prompted a split response between attacking midfield (30 per cent) and right back (26 per cent). City have agreed a deal with AC Milan for Tijjani Reijnders, while they are keen on Lyon's Rayan Cherki and Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White. Wolves left back Rayan Ait-Nouri is also expected to arrive.

Twenty one per cent of responses wanted a new central midfielder as a priority - a wish that has been granted with the Reijnders deal - while 10 per cent voted for left back.

Despite City's relative struggles this season - which 56 per cent of voters labelled disappointing and 26 per cent average - there is a confidence amid the fanbase that Guardiola's side will bounce back next term.

Forty-five per cent think City will win the Premier League, the same number as those who opted for a top three finish, while 34 per cent feel the Blues will reach the semi-finals of the Champions League.

Indeed, 19 per cent tipped City to win the tournament and 15 per cent think they will reach the final with 24 per cent predicting a last eight exit.

Finally, there was an overwhelming consensus on City's player of the year with Josko Gvardiol polling 69 per cent of the vote to finish clear of Nico O'Reilly (13 per cent) and Bernardo Silva (10 per cent). Five per cent voted for Erling Haaland and three per cent for Ederson.

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