Jack Grealish is anticipated to be excluded from Manchester City`s roster for the upcoming Club World Cup tournament. This exclusion is seen as a significant indication that he is likely headed for the exit at the Etihad Stadium.
The England international arrived at City from Aston Villa in 2021 for a British record fee of £100 million at the time. However, the attacking midfielder has fallen out of favour and is widely expected to be sold during the current summer transfer window.
Manager Pep Guardiola has begun restructuring the squad, securing a £46.2 million deal for AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders. City is also reportedly pursuing Lyon winger Rayan Cherki and Wolves` 23-year-old left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri.
Consequently, it appears Grealish, who still has two years remaining on his £300,000-a-week contract, may require a fresh start, having become a peripheral figure in the team.
Grealish, set to turn 30 in September, is exploring his options. It is considered improbable that he will feature in City`s first match in the USA against Wydad Casablanca on June 18th.
Significant interest is anticipated from other Premier League clubs and teams across Europe.
Grealish, whose market value is estimated at £40 million, completed the full 90 minutes of a match only eight times this season. He is expected to depart the club, potentially following Kevin De Bruyne.
Former club Aston Villa, along with Newcastle, Everton, and Napoli (where De Bruyne is reportedly moving on a free transfer), are all reported to be interested parties.
It is understood that Manchester City prefers Grealish to have ample time to secure a new club instead of traveling with the squad to the United States.
Last month, manager Pep Guardiola commented on the situation, stating, “Of course Jack has to play. He needs to do it — with us or another place.”
Guardiola aims to revitalize his squad, which finished third last season. Reijnders has already agreed to a five-year contract as part of this shake-up.
City is also eager to finalize a £35 million transfer for promising France Under-21 player Cherki.
The manager is reportedly confident about acquiring defender Ait-Nouri for £50 million.
Manchester City hopes to complete these three transfers before the team`s scheduled departure to the United States on June 12th.
This significant spending follows the club`s first season without winning a major trophy since 2017.
Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak acknowledged this, admitting, “Last summer we should have been more aggressive in some of the changes we needed. That ended up costing us this year.”
Club World Cup 2025 Context
Some of the world`s biggest clubs are heading to the United States for a major Club World Cup tournament. Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Inter Miami are among the 32 teams taking part, with matches scheduled from June 14 to July 13.
Stars like Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Ousmane Dembele, Cole Palmer, and Harry Kane are expected to showcase their skills to large crowds across the US. Real Madrid is considered among the favourites to win the trophy in New York, but they will face strong competition from clubs worldwide.
