Jack Grealish reacts to Erling Haaland’s new message amid Man City exit whispers
Man City outcast Jack Grealish has reacted to a new message from Erling Haaland amid uncertainty about the England winger’s future at the Etihad Stadium.
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 so it seems like just a matter of time until he is out of the Etihad Stadium exit door.
Erling Haaland posts off-season holiday update
He remains a City player for now, but Grealish was trolled by teammate and close friend Haaland last month as the Norwegian giant questioned his whereabouts while jetting off to the USA for the Club World Cup.
Haaland and his Citizens teammates came back empty-handed after going out to Al-Hilal in the round of 16, and he now looks to be enjoying some extended time away from football with a recent Instagram post on Saturday (19 July) which depicted him sat on a boat, with rowing boat and sun emojis as the caption.
Grealish moved to like his friend’s update as he seeks a move away from City, while Dominik Szoboszlai, Aymeric Laporte, Joe Hart and Takumi Minamino were among those that followed suit.
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.
Napoli are one of Italy’s biggest clubs, and are a team on the up after winning the Serie A title under Conte last term, so the chance to make the move there and play in the Champions League is surely one that would be too good to turn down if an agreement was reached between them and City regarding wages.