Manchester City midfielder Jack Grealish
Manchester City midfielder Jack Grealish
I love Jack Grealish. He is simply a tremendous footballer.
Watching him in full flight at Aston Villa, swaggering around the pitch as if he owned it, was a joy to behold. The way he has been stifled by Pep Guardiola and his robotic system is nothing short of a crying shame.
He may have made enemies in these parts with his boozy Miguel Almiron comments... but you suspect Toon fans could really grow to the love the midfield maverick if he was excelling in a black and white shirt.
However, with all that being said, I’m glad Newcastle United aren’t seriously considering signing Grealish this summer. There are too many question marks around a potential deal for the 29-year-old.
, despite claims from several media outlets in recent days suggesting Grealish could be handed an Etihad Stadium escape route by the Magpies. The fact is signing the left-sided forward would prove way too costly and add to an already crowded area of Eddie Howe's squad.
Grealish's arrival would limit the playing time of both Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes - both of whom have been battling it out for a starting role of late. Instead, it is a right-winger and a central striker, at the top end of the pitch, seen as the priority positions for Newcastle's recruitment team to pursue.
To add, Grealish is said to be earning £300,000-per-week at City. Even a loan deal where that hefty salary is split down the middle would be a huge burden on the budget at St James' Park.
Aston Villa took a similar risk when taking on the huge financial responsibilities that came with signing Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio - and the Midlands club paid the price when missing out on Champions League football at the expense of Newcastle.
Grealish's form under Guardiola has fallen off a cliff due to diminishing game time, with huge risks attached to his current readiness as City offer his services to rival clubs. As such, as much as it pains me to say, it is encouraging to hear Newcastle have no concrete plans to explore a risky move for the exiled England international this summer.
After all, their finances have certainly improved compared to last summer - and even the most recent winter window - but it would be foolish to expect a summer of lavish spending. As it stands, Newcastle are being linked with four key signings, across four key positions, none of which include a left-sided winger.
Joao Pedro is likely to cost around £60m, while Anthony Elanga could also fetch a similar amount should he leave Forest. Goalkeeper James Trafford's value has risen on the back of his record-breaking Championship season, meaning he could cost around £35m.
Marc Guehi continues to be linked and, again, would cost a decent chunk of United's summer budget should he arrive. Those four additions would likely push Newcastle's spend to close to £200m, which is an unrealistic target for this current window.
Newcastle have so far resisted such risky, big-money loan deals or permanent signings since the 2021 takeover and have instead sought not to stretch the club's wage budget with inflated salaries for first-team stars.
Maybe Eddie Howe summed it up perfectly earlier this year, when quizzed about Grealish specifically, when he said: "Financially? [are we able to sign a player like that?]. I don't believe currently we are."
Treasure a season to remember
Newcastle United's 2024-25 campaign has to rank as one of the best in living memory. Not only did Eddie Howe's side qualify for the Champions League by securing fifth place in the Premier League, but they ended their long wait for silverware by winning the Carabao Cup
Our celebrates an incredible campaign for the Magpies, with in-depth analysis, ratings and interviews of a season to remember.
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