‘Major Jack Grealish to Aston Villa claim made as Man City exit gathers pace’
Jack Grealish may have played his last game for Manchester City as links with Aston Villa continue.
Grealish has just come to the end of his fourth season as a City player, after he made a £100million [Sky Sports] move to Guardiola’s side from boyhood club Villa back in 2021.
His transfer was, at the time, the most expensive fee paid for any English player ever and the highest fee ever paid by a British club, but the tricky winger has struggled to prove his worth to the Citizens in the years that have followed.
Grealish has won three Premier League titles and was a key part of City’s 2022/23 treble-winning campaign, but has lacked consistency in his time at the Etihad Stadium, particularly over the last 12 months.
The 29-year-old made just seven league starts in the last season, and looks set to be on his way out of the club this summer with Serie A outfit Napoli reported to be interested in a move for his services.
Jack Grealish urged to make Aston Villa move as Manchester City exit nears
Grealish’s time at City looks set to come to an end in the coming months, with Guardiola omitting him from his Club World Cup squad, while Football Insider recently revealed that the club are lining up a move for Lyon playmaker Rayan Cherki, who would undoubtedly be a replacement for the England man.
Speaking live on talkSPORT on Saturday (7 June), ex-Liverpool star turned pundit Jermaine Pennant backed the 29-year-old to rediscover his form by making a move back to his old club Villa this summer, saying: “Jack is not a winger.
“Jack is not a (Jeremy) Doku or a Savinho, playing on the left and coming in…that’s not his role.”
He continued, adding: “This is not Jack’s system, playing like that. If you take him now to Aston Villa, I think Jack Grealish would flourish.
“I want to see Jack Grealish at Aston Villa, because I think he would flourish.”
Grealish should move back to Villa this summer if the opportunity arises
Football Insider verdict
Grealish’s time at City has been one of both ups and downs, but his last season certainly included more of the latter, and Football Insider recently revealed that he has told those close to him that he does not expect to be playing under Guardiola next season with a move away in the pipeline.
In addition to his lowly seven league starts, the England international made just four starts in City’s ill-fated Champions League campaign, while he did not even get on the pitch as they lost the FA Cup final to Crystal Palace last month.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 157 | 17 | 23 |
England boss Thomas Tuchel admitted last week that the 29-year-old needs to join a club playing “every three days” [The Telegraph] this summer to have any hope of making his World Cup squad next year, and so a move to Villa would make a lot of sense if that is one of Grealish’s main hopes.
The Mirror reported on 6 June that a loan return to Villa is a strong possibility in the coming months, and it would surely be a move that he entertains, given his past form and connection to the club he made his name at.
Grealish is a Birmingham native, and his impressive outings for the Villans saw him register 32 goals and 43 assists in 213 appearances for the club to earn that huge move to City four years ago.
He would surely be a good fit in Unai Emery’s squad next season, with attackers needed due to both Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford being unlikely set to return following their respective loan spells, with the England man recently linked to Barcelona.
The chance to play in Europe for his boyhood club would also surely be something that Grealish jumps at ahead of next term, and so a move back to Villa Park needs to be on the cards as he looks to revive his career.