‘Aston Villa fans welcome Jack Grealish back’ in stunning late deal – live on-air reveal
Jack Grealish has been tipped to be welcomed back by Aston Villa supporters if he re-joins his boyhood club from Man City this summer.
Grealish looks very likely to depart the Etihad Stadium this summer after recently being left out of Pep Guardiola’s Club World Cup squad following a tough campaign.
He struggled to make an impact on the Man City team throughout a poor 2024/25 season for a number of Guardiola’s star players, with just seven Premier League starts made all term.
Football Insider reported last month that Everton and Newcastle United were interested in Grealish, and he wants to leave City soon after four years at the club following a £100million [Sky Sports] move from Aston Villa in 2021.
Newcastle are planning to accelerate their pursuit of Grealish soon, as revealed by Football Insider on 9 July, and Football Insider also revealed on 11 July that Grealish, James McAtee and Kalvin Phillips are top of the list as Guardiola looks to reduce his squad’s size, so it seems like just a matter of time until he is out of the Etihad Stadium exit door.
Agbonlahor predicts Grealish to move back to Aston Villa
Grealish made his name in the early stages of his career at Villa, with 32 goals and 43 assists in 213 appearances for his boyhood club before a £100million [Sky Sports] move to City in 2021, which seemingly saw him burn his bridges with the Villa Park faithful.
He started well at the Etihad with a starring role in their 2022/23 treble triumph, but his form has clearly tailed off over the last few years.
Speaking live on talkSPORT on Friday (25 July), former teammate and current pundit Gabby Agbonlahor tipped Grealish to return to Villa this summer and be welcomed back gladly by their supporters despite their previous differences.
He said: “I think they (Villa fans) would welcome him with open arms. Obviously you’d get a few that would probably still not be happy, but everyone knows Jack is a Villa fan deep down.
“He loves the club. I think they would love him back. If it comes into that late transfer window, Aston Villa have got problems as well with financial fair play and who they can go and spend big money on, so it might work for both Jack (Grealish) and for Villa.”
Grealish should leave Man City to move abroad
Football Insider verdict
Football Insider recently revealed that Grealish’s City exit is not likely to be confirmed until late in the transfer window as Guardiola’s side are expected to lower their asking price for his services.
He looks more likely to leave on loan this summer due to his high wages, which are deterring clubs from pursuing a permanent deal, and it is a temporary move to Serie A which could really appeal and may well be a bigger help for him in reviving his career next term.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 157 | 17 | 23 |
Grealish is a target for Serie A champions Napoli, but The Telegraph have reported that Antonio Conte’s side have made it clear that they will not match his £300,000 weekly earnings, so City may have to fund “50 per cent” of his salary so a deal can happen.
The 29-year-old certainly still has a lot to offer as he enters what should be his prime as a player, and he would surely benefit from a move abroad as he looks to move out of the limelight somewhat and experience a fresh start in a new league and culture.
Villa may well want to explore a loan deal for him to return to the Second City, but that move would surely only put more pressure on Grealish with him needing to prove his worth to the club again and potentially having supporters on his back if he does not perform.