The three clubs wanting to sign Manchester City's Jack Grealish

A year to forget

A year to forget, What happened?, British record transfer, Previous record, A star at Villa, Undoubted talent, Struggling for the same numbers, Slow first two seasons, No individuality, Creating fewer chances, Worth £100 million?, Limited involvement, "He's been in and out", Further down the pecking order, Where next?, Tottenham, Newcastle and Napoli

It's been quite a year for Manchester City and Jack Grealish. The Citizens have gone trophyless for the first time in eight years, and their record signing barely featured at all, making just 20 league appearances in 2024-25, according to Transfermarkt.

What happened?

A year to forget, What happened?, British record transfer, Previous record, A star at Villa, Undoubted talent, Struggling for the same numbers, Slow first two seasons, No individuality, Creating fewer chances, Worth £100 million?, Limited involvement, "He's been in and out", Further down the pecking order, Where next?, Tottenham, Newcastle and Napoli

Back in January, City manager Pep Guardiola called for Grealish to fight for his place and rediscover his form from City's treble-winning season in 2023. According to ESPN, the Catalan said: "Do I want the Jack that won the treble? Yes, I want it [but] they have to fight."

British record transfer

A year to forget, What happened?, British record transfer, Previous record, A star at Villa, Undoubted talent, Struggling for the same numbers, Slow first two seasons, No individuality, Creating fewer chances, Worth £100 million?, Limited involvement, "He's been in and out", Further down the pecking order, Where next?, Tottenham, Newcastle and Napoli

Manchester City signed Grealish in the summer of 2021 for £100 million ($127m/€120m) on a six-year deal from Aston Villa. At the time, it was the biggest deal in British football history.

Previous record

A year to forget, What happened?, British record transfer, Previous record, A star at Villa, Undoubted talent, Struggling for the same numbers, Slow first two seasons, No individuality, Creating fewer chances, Worth £100 million?, Limited involvement, "He's been in and out", Further down the pecking order, Where next?, Tottenham, Newcastle and Napoli

The previous record was held by Paul Pogba when he re-joined Manchester United for £93.25 million ($118m/€112m) in the summer of 2016.

A star at Villa

A year to forget, What happened?, British record transfer, Previous record, A star at Villa, Undoubted talent, Struggling for the same numbers, Slow first two seasons, No individuality, Creating fewer chances, Worth £100 million?, Limited involvement, "He's been in and out", Further down the pecking order, Where next?, Tottenham, Newcastle and Napoli

Guardiola signed Grealish for his individual brilliance, fantastic playmaking and natural ability to take on and beat players in duels. As captain, he played a pivotal role in Villa's promotion back to the Premier League and in keeping them up.

Undoubted talent

A year to forget, What happened?, British record transfer, Previous record, A star at Villa, Undoubted talent, Struggling for the same numbers, Slow first two seasons, No individuality, Creating fewer chances, Worth £100 million?, Limited involvement, "He's been in and out", Further down the pecking order, Where next?, Tottenham, Newcastle and Napoli

While regularly playing for his hometown club, Grealish was a standout performer. According to Transfermarkt, he provided eight goals and six assists in 36 games in Villa's first season back in the top flight, before a stellar campaign in his final season in Birmingham (2020-21) during which he scored six goals and provided ten assists in ten fewer games. He finished fourth in the Premier League assist rankings, with Villa finishing 11th that year.

Struggling for the same numbers

A year to forget, What happened?, British record transfer, Previous record, A star at Villa, Undoubted talent, Struggling for the same numbers, Slow first two seasons, No individuality, Creating fewer chances, Worth £100 million?, Limited involvement, "He's been in and out", Further down the pecking order, Where next?, Tottenham, Newcastle and Napoli

Since joining Manchester City for a then-British record, Grealish has struggled to regain the consistency and numbers he showed in a Villa shirt.

Slow first two seasons

A year to forget, What happened?, British record transfer, Previous record, A star at Villa, Undoubted talent, Struggling for the same numbers, Slow first two seasons, No individuality, Creating fewer chances, Worth £100 million?, Limited involvement, "He's been in and out", Further down the pecking order, Where next?, Tottenham, Newcastle and Napoli

In his first season, he provided three goals and three assists in 26 games, and in his second season, his best campaign to date, he scored five goals and laid on seven assists in 28 games.

No individuality

A year to forget, What happened?, British record transfer, Previous record, A star at Villa, Undoubted talent, Struggling for the same numbers, Slow first two seasons, No individuality, Creating fewer chances, Worth £100 million?, Limited involvement, "He's been in and out", Further down the pecking order, Where next?, Tottenham, Newcastle and Napoli

However, as is often the case in a Pep Guardiola team, a player can lose this individuality. The Catalan tactician often encourages players to take fewer risks and play with greater discipline in order to fit into his incredibly demanding system.

Creating fewer chances

A year to forget, What happened?, British record transfer, Previous record, A star at Villa, Undoubted talent, Struggling for the same numbers, Slow first two seasons, No individuality, Creating fewer chances, Worth £100 million?, Limited involvement, "He's been in and out", Further down the pecking order, Where next?, Tottenham, Newcastle and Napoli

According to the Premier League website, in his final season at Villa, Grealish created 14 big chances and executed 76 crosses. At City, his best campaign saw him make 12 big chances and put in 53 crosses in a team that was far superior to Villa's.

Worth £100 million?

A year to forget, What happened?, British record transfer, Previous record, A star at Villa, Undoubted talent, Struggling for the same numbers, Slow first two seasons, No individuality, Creating fewer chances, Worth £100 million?, Limited involvement, "He's been in and out", Further down the pecking order, Where next?, Tottenham, Newcastle and Napoli

Due to injuries and a lack of form, Grealish has scored four goals and provided two assists in 40 league games in the last two seasons (2023-24 and 2024-25). In fact, he has accumulated more yellow cards (10) than goal involvements.

Limited involvement

A year to forget, What happened?, British record transfer, Previous record, A star at Villa, Undoubted talent, Struggling for the same numbers, Slow first two seasons, No individuality, Creating fewer chances, Worth £100 million?, Limited involvement, "He's been in and out", Further down the pecking order, Where next?, Tottenham, Newcastle and Napoli

Having played just 715 minutes of league football in 2024-25 (per Transfermarkt), surely Grealish will be on his way out of Eastlands now that the season has finished.

"He's been in and out"

A year to forget, What happened?, British record transfer, Previous record, A star at Villa, Undoubted talent, Struggling for the same numbers, Slow first two seasons, No individuality, Creating fewer chances, Worth £100 million?, Limited involvement, "He's been in and out", Further down the pecking order, Where next?, Tottenham, Newcastle and Napoli

As reported by Football 365, former Aston Villa and Manchester United scout Mike Brown believes Grealish will be on his way: "He's been in and out of the team again this season and is not a regular feature there."

Further down the pecking order

A year to forget, What happened?, British record transfer, Previous record, A star at Villa, Undoubted talent, Struggling for the same numbers, Slow first two seasons, No individuality, Creating fewer chances, Worth £100 million?, Limited involvement, "He's been in and out", Further down the pecking order, Where next?, Tottenham, Newcastle and Napoli

With Jérémy Doku (pictured) and Savinho the preferred options on the flanks, plus the arrival of Rayan Cherki, Brown asks: "But then where does Grealish fit in the squad? He'd be facing even fewer starts. I think, if they do sign a new option, they could look to move him out to make space."

Where next?

A year to forget, What happened?, British record transfer, Previous record, A star at Villa, Undoubted talent, Struggling for the same numbers, Slow first two seasons, No individuality, Creating fewer chances, Worth £100 million?, Limited involvement, "He's been in and out", Further down the pecking order, Where next?, Tottenham, Newcastle and Napoli

But that begs the question: where could Jack Grealish go next? As the BBC reported, "there is likely to be interest from clubs across Europe in Grealish, who may be attracted to a fresh start at a top club who could provide him with regular football." However, his wages are likely to be prohibitive.

Tottenham, Newcastle and Napoli

A year to forget, What happened?, British record transfer, Previous record, A star at Villa, Undoubted talent, Struggling for the same numbers, Slow first two seasons, No individuality, Creating fewer chances, Worth £100 million?, Limited involvement, "He's been in and out", Further down the pecking order, Where next?, Tottenham, Newcastle and Napoli

According to The Sun, Tottenham, Newcastle and Italian champions Napoli are all looking at the possibility of signing Grealish, while a return to Aston Villa could also be an option.

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