Jack Grealish has struggled badly this season and the attacker has now been told to push for an exit from Manchester City in a bid to reignite his stalling career
Jack Grealish has been urged to leave Manchester City this summer – for the sake of his career.
Grealish, who joined City from Aston Villa for £100million in 2021, was undroppable in the 2022-23 season when Pep Guardiola’s side won the Treble. But the 29-year-old failed to score a goal in 2024, has lost his City place and was left out of England’s squad for last summer’s European Championships.
Former England winger Chris Waddle said the time has come for Grealish to accept his time at City is over and to focus on resurrecting his career elsewhere. Waddle told Prime Casino: “I do think that it’s time for Jack to have a serious think about his future.
“That’s the stage he’s at now, which is unfortunate. At Villa, he had a lot more freedom to show what he could do. When he went to City, he basically played as an out-and-out left winger, and he’s not a left winger.
“If I was Jack, I’d be thinking ‘I want to go play somewhere, I don’t want to play on the left, I want to play as a No.10 or as part of a midfield three’. He’s got to be looking at a club who wants to take him as a midfielder rather than a winger.
“He definitely needs to start again and go off, because he’s not going to get any joy in his football at City. If he can’t get in the City team, that means he’s not really going to get picked for England.
“He needs to start playing regular football to get his confidence back and to give him a chance of getting back in the England squad. When you’re looking at your career, if you’re not playing a lot, you need to move on.
“You don’t want to be sitting in the stands. He’s had his time at City, it hasn’t really changed for him, so I think he’s better off thinking ‘I need a new challenge and I want to play as a midfield player’.”
Waddle also claimed Grealish has put on weight because of his frustration at not playing, having started only six of City’s 20 Premier League games. Waddle added: “I remember watching him at Villa, he had a lot more to his game.
“He was criticised for not being in good shape by his manager – that’s never a good sign. I have to say, he looks a little heavier. That happens when players are frustrated.”
City boss Pep Guardiola has warned Grealish he faces a fight to regain his place in the team position. He said: “Savinho is in better shape and everything than Jack, and that’s why I played Savinho.
“Do I want the Jack that won the Treble? Yeah I want it, but I try to be honest with myself for that. They have to fight. I know that he can do it because I saw him. I saw his level and I want that, every single training session and every single game.”
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