Jack Grealish is unhappy at Manchester City and is open to leaving for a new club this summer, while Pep Guardiola has been tipped to bring an elite attacker to the Etihad in a big-money deal.
Grealish may have won the Premier League title, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup with Man City this season, but he has been left frustrated by Guardiola rotating him. City signed fellow left winger Jeremy Doku from Rennes last summer and Grealish has had to compete with the Belgian for game time.
Grealish ended the campaign with just three goals and three assists in 36 appearances, while only 10 of his 20 Premier League outings lasted 45 minutes or more.
The 28-year-old had been an enigmatic player at Aston Villa, but he rarely uses his fantastic dribbling skills now and is simply one part of City’s system, rather than the talismanic figure he was at Villa Park.
Grealish’s underwhelming season on a personal level has ultimately cost him his England spot at the Euros, though that decision has not gone down well with some former England stars and fans.
As per journalist Pete O’Rourke, Grealish could ‘quit’ City this summer as he wants to become a guaranteed starter at another club.
City are ready to listen to offers for the wide man as Guardiola ‘is not completely convinced’ on him.
It will be interesting to see where Grealish ends up, should a City exit come to fruition. Villa might take steps to re-sign their former captain, while European giants Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid have also been linked with shock bids.
Man City transfers: Grealish out, Musiala in?
While Grealish could leave the 2022-23 treble winners, reports in Spain claim that Guardiola hopes to improve his attack further with the incredible signing of Bayern’s Jamal Musiala.
The central attacking midfielder, who can also shine on the left flank, is yet to extend his Bayern contract, with his current deal due to expire in June 2026.
The ‘generational’ talent has shot up Guardiola’s wish list at City, while Real Madrid are also keeping tabs on his situation.
Even though there are concerns about whether Musiala will pen a new Bayern contract, the German heavyweights will still demand a massive fee before letting him leave.
It is likely City or Madrid will have to smash the £100million barrier – as the Citizens did for Grealish – in order to prise Musiala out of Bavaria.
The 21-year-old was unplayable against Scotland in the Euros opener on Friday night, getting on the scoresheet and putting in a man of the match performance as Germany eased their way to a 5-1 victory.
After the game, Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann said: “As a coach, it is always difficult to highlight a single player. But Jamal made a very good game. He was also very hardworking defensively.
“I have always stressed that we also need the wizards on the defensive. The community won the game today, and the entire team should inspire.”