Jack Grealish could be frozen out at Man City amid ‘massive’ teammate verdict – Campbell
Jack Grealish could be facing a long-term spell on the Man City bench after Raheem Sterling’s recent form, according to Kevin Campbell.
The former Arsenal striker, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, insisted the 26-year-old’s British-record transfer fee will be “irrelevant” for manager Pep Guardiola.
Sterling has registered five goal contributions in Man City’s last two games, including a hat-trick against Norwich last Saturday (12 February).
Grealish has sat out the last two fixtures after picking up a shin injury in training earlier this month.
Campbell suggested the former Aston Villa star is not guaranteed to return to the Citizens line-up upon his return.
“The key for Guardiola is competition,” he told Football Insider‘s Ewan Kingsbury.
“Raheem Sterling has got these goals and as a result, he will be the first name on the teamsheet.
“If anyone, including Grealish, isn’t performing then they’ll be on the bench – the price tag is irrelevant at Man City. Then it’s up to him to get back into that side.
“They’ve got such a highly-talented squad that Pep can afford to chop and change – it’s all about performances.
“We’ve seen him drop the likes of Grealish and Foden before. Sterling has done himself a massive favour by finding this scoring form at the right time.”
A Man City source told Football Insider earlier this month (4 February) that club chiefs privately admit they made a blunder signing Grealish for a £100million fee – and believe the club should have landed Harry Kane instead.
The 18-cap England ace has scored three goals in 25 games since joining the English champions.
Sterling, who is out of contract in 2023, has netted 13 goals across all competitions this term.
In other news, Grealish’s ex-manager reveals what’s really going on with “suffocated” superstar at Man City.