Latest Aston Villa transfer news from BirminghamLive as Man City boss discusses future of former Villa captain amid plenty of transfer interest in the £100m signing
Pep Guardiola has suggested thatJack Grealish does have a future at Manchester City, despite leaving him out of his squad for the Club World Cup.
The City manager appeared to have opened the door for Grealish, a £100m recruit from Aston Villa four years ago, to leave the Etihad when he omitted him from the 27-man playing group for the FIFA tournament in the United States.
That came after Grealish, one of the stars of City’s 2023 treble success, endured a difficult 2024-25 season, making just seven Premier League starts.
Yet Guardiola, while offering no guarantees about the England international’s prospects at City, says his absence is principally about allowing him to work on his game.
Speaking at a press conference in Philadelphia ahead of City’s tournament opener against Moroccan side Wydad Casablanca, Guardiola said: “He had a conversation with the club and decided the best.
“Jack is an exceptional player but he didn’t (play a lot). We decided he has to play.
“We’re honest and he’s honest. We decided the best was to stay (behind) and find that he can play, that he can come back to the player of the year of the treble and all his career at Aston Villa.
“But the fact is he didn’t play much minutes the last two seasons. He has to come back to play and have the butterflies in his stomach that he can play every three days and show again the quality that he has.
“We decided don’t come here. What happens I don’t know, but if he doesn’t (leave) he is a player for Man City and he will be back.”
Guardiola denied this meant he felt Grealish had lost hunger for the game, but that he needs reasons to start picking him again.
He added: “The reason he didn’t play is my decisions. Football is competing with each other – not just Jack, all of them.
“They compete (for) who deserves to play. The butterflies are an example of the tension and they happen for all the players.
“Over the last two years he didn’t play much and I take responsibility for that, but he has to play and we reflected that it was better not to come here.”
With Grealish seemingly on his way out of City, there has been plenty of transfer speculation surrounding the former Villa captain, including talk of a return to his boyhood club.
However, Napoli are the latest option being touted – but more likely as a loan rather than a permanent deal as the Italian champions will not want – or probably be able – to match Grealish’s reported £350,000-a-week salary.
Everton, Newcastle and Tottenham are the other Premier League sides mentioned in relation to a Grealish deal, but they will be looking to pay far less than the £100m Villa cashed from his sale, the 29-year-old now more likely to be available for a heavily discounted £50m.
