Jack Grealish reacts to five-word message from Man City ace Josko Gvardiol
Jack Grealish has reacted to a message from Man City teammate Josko Gvardiol in the wake of the 2-1 win over Bournemouth.
The England international made a welcome return to Pep Guardiola’s side, appearing off the bench to help his team qualify for a seventh consecutive FA Cup semi-final under the Spanish manager.
Grealish’s season has been hampered by injuries, with the former Aston Villa man appearing sporadically this season.
This has led to speculation that Guardiola may look to sell Grealish in the summer, which would bring to an end the England international’s four-year spell at the club that has seen him win three Premier League titles, an FA Cup, and the Champions League.
Josko Gvardiol celebrates Man City win over Bournemouth
Following the win over Bournemouth, Gvardiol posted a series of images of himself in action to Instagram, captioned: “On to the semi-finals!”
The post was then liked by the Croatian’s teammate Grealish, showing support for the defender.
The Sky Blues will take on an in-form Nottingham Forest at the City Ground in the semi-final later this month.
Man City look for new left-back after missing out on Andrea Cambiaso in January
Football Insider Verdict
In spite of establishing himself as one of the better left-backs in the Premier League, the Sky Blues are still keen on signing a replacement for Gvardiol.
Whilst the Croatian offers a lot to his side being an offensive outlet, there are concerns that his development as a centre-back may be hampered if he continues to have to fill the role, in lieu of any other suitable candidates.
Gvardiol was signed to be a centre-back, marshalling the City defence, but with Nathan Ake often injured and Joao Cancelo sold to Al-Hilal in the summer, the former RB Leipzig man has been operating in the position.
| 2024/25 Premier League stats | Gvardiol |
| Appearances | 28 |
| Starts | 27 |
| Goals | 5 |
| Assists | 0 |
| Minutes | 2,470 |
City made multiple moves to sign Andrea Cambiaso from Juventus in January and may well revisit a deal for the Italian this summer.
However, another solution has emerged during the team’s FA Cup run, with Nico O’Reilly proving himself to be a very handy option at the position, assisting both of the Sky Blues’ goals from the bench against Bournemouth.
Physically, he is similar to the Croatian, having a centre-back’s build, whilst being surprisingly technically proficient and offering a goal-scoring threat.