Jack Grealish’s role in manager Pep Guardiola’s plans has noticeably diminished in recent weeks, which came as no surprise to the player himself, who has been aware of this for some time.
It all began with a brief statement from Guardiola following the 2-0 win over Fulham, where he explained the England international’s exclusion from the squad:
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“In the last month and a half, I’ve always left five or six players at home, and this time I chose those. That’s all there is to it. Jack is a fantastic player; he needs to play every three days. That hasn’t happened this season, nor last season. It should happen, whether with us or somewhere else, yes. But that’s a matter for his agent and the club. If he stays, no problem. He’ll keep fighting like he did from day one here.”
Matters escalated further after Grealish was excluded from the Club World Cup squad, a decision that sparked significant controversy within Manchester City but did not affect Guardiola’s stance, as he closely follows the progress of Real Madrid’s Rodrygo Goes.
Guardiola’s interest in signing Rodrygo led him to suggest including Grealish in a swap deal to reduce the Brazilian’s price. However, this proposal was rejected by Real Madrid’s management, as coach Xabi Alonso is committed to keeping Rodrygo in his plans for the next season (2025-2026), making the deal currently unfeasible.
