‘Man City to give Grealish whole summer to seal exit as major negotiations needed’
Man City are planning to go to significant lengths in order to facilitate a move away from the club for Jack Grealish in the summer transfer window.
It has been a dismal season for the winger, who just two years ago was a key figure for Pep Guardiola’s side as they won the treble.
This time around though, even with the club struggling by their standards, the 29-year-old has found game time hard to come by, starting just seven Premier League games.
As a result, Grealish is being heavily tipped to leave Man City before the start of next season, and it seems the club are willing to help him to do that.
Jack Grealish to miss Club World Cup
Later this month, Guardiola‘s side are set to take part in the newly expanded Club World Cup in America, which is set to last for up to a month.
That now has implications for the future of Grealish, with an update from The Telegraph stating that the winger is not expected to be part of the Man City squad for the tournament.
It is stated that all parties involved are aware that taking the 29-year-old to the tournament would not be in the best interests of either the club or player.
Instead, that time will be focused on securing a move elsewhere for the winger, given there is an expectation there will be a need for some considerable negotiation required to secure a move.
That is said to be down to both the £100million that Man City paid to sign Grealish, and the £300,000 per week wages he is on at the Etihad Stadium.
A loan move has apparently not been ruled out either, with the Englishman keen to play enough to force his way into Thomas Tuchel‘s side for next summer’s World Cup.
Man City are said to be keen to help him do that, and any exit will be with their best wishes and respect, with clubs in the Premier League and abroad expected to be keen.
Man City plan makes sense
Football Insider Verdict
It has previously been claimed that Guardiola has little interest in the Club World Cup, so it would not be a shock if senior players were left at home to focus on transfer business instead.
Indeed, given how little he has played this season, it would be pretty pointless for Grealish to spend a month on the sidelines in the tournament in America.
That would make it harder for both him and Man City to negotiate the move away that clearly looks to be in the best interests of all parties.
Allowing the winger to stay at home therefore allows more time for discussions, which will be needed given the finances involved at the Etihad mean it looks as though compromise is going to be required.
Some pundits have suggested that Tottenham could jump at the chance to sign Grealish for a reduced fee, although others would surely relish such an opportunity as well.
Giving him as much time to assess his options with full focus, rather than in the middle of a tournament, is therefore another way in which this appears to be a sensible approach for all concerned.