Jack Grealish, once the poster boy of English football and Manchester City’s record-breaking £100 million signing, finds himself at a crossroads as the 2024-25 Premier League season draws to a close. In a surprising move, Pep Guardiola has left the 29-year-old winger out of City’s traveling squad for their pivotal final-day match against Fulham on May 25, 2025, a decision that has intensified speculation about Grealish’s future at the Etihad Stadium. With City fighting to secure a top-five finish and a spot in next season’s Champions League, the omission of such a high-profile player has sent shockwaves through the football world, raising questions about whether Grealish’s time at the club is nearing its end.
The stakes couldn’t be higher for Manchester City at Craven Cottage. A single point against Fulham will guarantee their place in Europe’s premier competition, a priority after a turbulent season that saw them exit the Champions League in the play-off stage and lose the FA Cup final to Crystal Palace. Grealish, who played just one minute in City’s last four matches, was notably absent from the bench during the FA Cup final, where Guardiola opted to give a debut to 19-year-old Claudio Echeverri instead of turning to the experienced winger. “We didn’t talk, I didn’t talk with him,” Guardiola said, addressing Grealish’s future post-final. “It belongs to the agents and the club, and Txiki [Begiristain], Hugo [Viana] as well. Both will decide.” His words underscore a growing distance between the manager and the player, with discussions deferred to sporting director Txiki Begiristain and his successor, Hugo Viana.
Grealish’s fall from grace has been stark. Signed from Aston Villa in 2021 for a British record fee, he was instrumental in City’s 2022-23 Treble-winning campaign, showcasing flair and tenacity. However, the past two seasons have been a struggle, with only seven Premier League starts this term and a mere four goals and two assists since the start of last season. “As much as he looks at himself, he will see the competition,” Guardiola remarked earlier this year, pointing to the emergence of players like Savinho, who has outshone Grealish with 10 assists in 28 league appearances. The Brazilian’s dynamic play and superior delivery in the box have relegated Grealish to the fringes, with the winger’s lack of straight-line pace and goal threat increasingly at odds with City’s evolving, high-octane style.
The decision to exclude Grealish from the Fulham match follows a pattern of diminishing returns. He played just 143 minutes across six top-flight appearances in 2025, often limited to cameos against lower-tier teams like Salford and Leyton Orient. His exclusion from Thomas Tuchel’s latest England squad for World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Senegal further highlights his struggles, with Tuchel admitting, “I love Jack… but he’s not getting the minutes to make a case.” Grealish’s frustration has been palpable, with reports suggesting he feels “frozen out” by Guardiola, a sentiment he’s shared with close friends. “He has to come back to play minutes to start to play again,” Guardiola stated, a paradoxical challenge for a player rarely given the chance to prove himself.
City’s bloated squad, numbering 26 players, has forced Guardiola to make tough calls. “The last three weeks or a month, [leaving] four, five, six players at home,” he said, describing the situation as “not healthy” for the club or its players. With new signings like Omar Marmoush and Nico Gonzalez bolstering the ranks, and young talents like Oscar Bobb and James McAtee vying for spots, Grealish is among those facing an uncertain summer. Transfer rumors have swirled, with potential moves to Aston Villa, Tottenham, or even abroad to clubs like Benfica, AS Roma, or Al-Hilal. “I think the best team for him is Spurs because [Ange] Postecoglou will let him play,” a fan suggested on talkSPORT, while data analytics rank Benfica as ideal for maximizing Grealish’s playing time.
Grealish’s off-field antics have also drawn scrutiny, from late-night outings to a recent incident where he navigated past a drunken staff member at Kevin De Bruyne’s farewell party, exiting at 1:35 AM. Yet, his professionalism has never been in question, and his emotional connection to City was evident as he lingered longest at De Bruyne’s send-off, a nod to the Belgian legend’s 16-trophy tenure. As City prepare for a summer clearout, with up to eight players potentially departing, Grealish’s £100 million price tag and two years left on his contract make him a valuable asset, but his lack of form has dimmed his star.
As the final whistle looms at Craven Cottage, Grealish’s absence speaks louder than any press conference. With the Club World Cup in the United States on the horizon, his participation hangs in the balance. “What is going to happen, is going to happen,” Guardiola said, leaving the door open for a departure. For Grealish, the challenge is clear: rediscover the spark that made him a Treble hero or seek a fresh start elsewhere. As fans await clarity, the narrative of Grealish’s City tenure teeters between a triumphant past and an uncertain future, a tale of talent tested by the relentless demands of a changing game.
# Jack Grealish Faces Uncertain Future as Pep Guardiola Omits Him from Manchester City’s Crucial Fulham Clash
Jack Grealish, once the poster boy of English football and Manchester City’s record-breaking £100 million signing, finds himself at a crossroads as the 2024-25 Premier League season draws to a close. In a surprising move, Pep Guardiola has left the 29-year-old winger out of City’s traveling squad for their pivotal final-day match against Fulham on May 25, 2025, a decision that has intensified speculation about Grealish’s future at the Etihad Stadium. With City fighting to secure a top-five finish and a spot in next season’s Champions League, the omission of such a high-profile player has sent shockwaves through the football world, raising questions about whether Grealish’s time at the club is nearing its end.
The stakes couldn’t be higher for Manchester City at Craven Cottage. A single point against Fulham will guarantee their place in Europe’s premier competition, a priority after a turbulent season that saw them exit the Champions League in the play-off stage and lose the FA Cup final to Crystal Palace. Grealish, who played just one minute in City’s last four matches, was notably absent from the bench during the FA Cup final, where Guardiola opted to give a debut to 19-year-old Claudio Echeverri instead of turning to the experienced winger. “We didn’t talk, I didn’t talk with him,” Guardiola said, addressing Grealish’s future post-final. “It belongs to the agents and the club, and Txiki [Begiristain], Hugo [Viana] as well. Both will decide.” His words underscore a growing distance between the manager and the player, with discussions deferred to sporting director Txiki Begiristain and his successor, Hugo Viana.
Grealish’s fall from grace has been stark. Signed from Aston Villa in 2021 for a British record fee, he was instrumental in City’s 2022-23 Treble-winning campaign, showcasing flair and tenacity. However, the past two seasons have been a struggle, with only seven Premier League starts this term and a mere four goals and two assists since the start of last season. “As much as he looks at himself, he will see the competition,” Guardiola remarked earlier this year, pointing to the emergence of players like Savinho, who has outshone Grealish with 10 assists in 28 league appearances. The Brazilian’s dynamic play and superior delivery in the box have relegated Grealish to the fringes, with the winger’s lack of straight-line pace and goal threat increasingly at odds with City’s evolving, high-octane style.
The decision to exclude Grealish from the Fulham match follows a pattern of diminishing returns. He played just 143 minutes across six top-flight appearances in 2025, often limited to cameos against lower-tier teams like Salford and Leyton Orient. His exclusion from Thomas Tuchel’s latest England squad for World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Senegal further highlights his struggles, with Tuchel admitting, “I love Jack… but he’s not getting the minutes to make a case.” Grealish’s frustration has been palpable, with reports suggesting he feels “frozen out” by Guardiola, a sentiment he’s shared with close friends. “He has to come back to play minutes to start to play again,” Guardiola stated, a paradoxical challenge for a player rarely given the chance to prove himself.
City’s bloated squad, numbering 26 players, has forced Guardiola to make tough calls. “The last three weeks or a month, [leaving] four, five, six players at home,” he said, describing the situation as “not healthy” for the club or its players. With new signings like Omar Marmoush and Nico Gonzalez bolstering the ranks, and young talents like Oscar Bobb and James McAtee vying for spots, Grealish is among those facing an uncertain summer. Transfer rumors have swirled, with potential moves to Aston Villa, Tottenham, or even abroad to clubs like Benfica, AS Roma, or Al-Hilal. “I think the best team for him is Spurs because [Ange] Postecoglou will let him play,” a fan suggested on talkSPORT, while data analytics rank Benfica as ideal for maximizing Grealish’s playing time.
Grealish’s off-field antics have also drawn scrutiny, from late-night outings to a recent incident where he navigated past a drunken staff member at Kevin De Bruyne’s farewell party, exiting at 1:35 AM. Yet, his professionalism has never been in question, and his emotional connection to City was evident as he lingered longest at De Bruyne’s send-off, a nod to the Belgian legend’s 16-trophy tenure. As City prepare for a summer clearout, with up to eight players potentially departing, Grealish’s £100 million price tag and two years left on his contract make him a valuable asset, but his lack of form has dimmed his star.
As the final whistle looms at Craven Cottage, Grealish’s absence speaks louder than any press conference. With the Club World Cup in the United States on the horizon, his participation hangs in the balance. “What is going to happen, is going to happen,” Guardiola said, leaving the door open for a departure. For Grealish, the challenge is clear: rediscover the spark that made him a Treble hero or seek a fresh start elsewhere. As fans await clarity, the narrative of Grealish’s City tenure teeters between a triumphant past and an uncertain future, a tale of talent tested by the relentless demands of a changing game.
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