Manchester City are reportedly set to alter their plans for Jack Grealish this summer, having received no formal offers to date. The 29-year-old has been put up for sale and pinned with a price tag well below the £100million City paid for him in 2021, but suitors have not been forthcoming.
Last season was a hugely disappointing one for Grealish, who only started seven Premier League games and contributed to just two goals in the competition. With City shelling out wages in the region of £300,000 a week, club chiefs are trying to move Grealish on this summer. That much became clear when the former Aston Villa playmaker was left out of the squad Pep Guardiola has taken to the Club World Cup.
According to The Guardian, City are looking for bids of around £50m, but they have had no formal offers at that price. The report adds that senior figures at the Etihad Stadium could now look to loan him out.
With the glory of their Treble triumph and four-in-a-row Premier League title exploits now fading into the rear-view mirror, City have become saddled with a handful of big earners who have fallen down Guardiola’s pecking order.
Grealish falls into that category, along with Kyle Walker, who spent the second half of last season on loan at AC Milan. The Rossoneri are not expected to sign the 35-year-old permanently, leaving City to make alternative arrangements for the final year of his contract.
Tottenham, Everton and Bayer Leverkusen have all been cited as possible landing spots for Grealish, whose City deal runs until the summer of 2027. But all three clubs may have reservations about meeting his wage demands.
A return to Villa has also been touted, although the same salary issues would likely arise. Multiple factors therefore point towards City being forced to pay at least a percentage of Grealish’s wages for the duration of his contract.
Grealish has scored 17 goals in 157 games for City, picking up four Premier League titles, an FA Cup and a Champions League during his four years at the club.
The Blues have already spent more than £100m on three signings this summer, with all of them making it onto the plane for the Club World Cup. Dutch midfielder Tijjani Reijnders, French playmaker Rayan Cherki and former Wolves full-back Rayan Ait-Nouri will all be aiming to make a splash at the tournament.
Content Source: www.express.co.uk