Jack Grealish applauds the fans after the club's final home game of the season
Jack Grealish (Image: CameraSport via Getty Images)
Jack Grealish is the perfect man to fill the shoes of Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford, should Aston Villa choose not to continue their Villa Park careers.
The two loan stars were an instant success at the club, with Asensio in particular, a player that the fans would love to see continue his career in claret and blue.
With deals for the two players looking increasingly unlikely, former Premier League midfielder Jamie O'Hara believes that the answer is staring Villa in the face.
O'Hara told Grosvenor Sport: " Jack Grealish ’s time at Manchester City is up, he’s already got one foot out the door and being left out of the Club World Cup squad by Pep Guardiola. is the nail in the coffin for him.
“I think he should go back to Aston Villa; what’s stopping him? The fans loved him; he was a maverick and the starboy in their team.
"The club have missed out on Champions League next season, and Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio are both looking like they won’t be returning for another season. The perfect replacement for those two is Grealish, I still believe he’s a top player.
“If he’s fit, he’s easily good enough to start for Villa, he’s a local lad and I don’t see a reason why they wouldn’t take him back – he’d cost a lot less than what Villa sold him to City for!”
The former Villa ace has endured a turbulent spell over the last two seasons, having fallen out of favour under Guardiola. The 29-year-old – who made a £100million switch to City in 2021, becoming the most expensive British player at the time – was instrumental in their treble-winning campaign in 2023.
Jack Grealish
Jack Grealish(Image: TIM EASTHOPE/BIRMINGHAM MAIL)
However, Jeremy Doku has since usurped him as Guardiola's preferred starter on the left wing, and following their final Premier League match of the season, a 2-0 victory against Fulham, Guardiola conceded that Grealish needed more minutes, suggesting a summer departure could be on the cards.
"Of course Jack has to play. He's an unbelievable player that has to play football every three days," Guardiola said. "It didn't happen this season and last season either. He needs to do it, and that's with us, or another place. And that's a question for Jack, his agent, and the club."
Guardiola's apparent decision to leave him out of the traveling squad the Club World Cup is a major sign that the end could be near, leaving Grealish needing to explore other options. His £300,000-per-week salary could make a transfer complicated, but several potential high-profile moves could nonetheless be on the table.