Jack Grealish: Manchester City exit likely as out-of-favour forward to be left out of Club World Cup squad

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Evening Standard

·4 June 2025

Jack Grealish: Manchester City exit likely as out-of-favour forward to be left out of Club World Cup squad

The Briton hopes a return to form could mark him as a contender to feature in England’s 2026 World Cup squad

Jack Grealish is tipped to leave Manchester City this summer after reports emerged that he will be left out of Pep Guardiola’s squad for the Club World Cup.

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The forward’s Man City career never quite got off the ground after he signed from Aston Villa for £100million in 2021. He has scored just 17 goals in 157 appearances and fell further out of favour this campaign, scoring just once in the Premier League.

He watched on from the bench as City trailed Crystal Palace by a goal behind in the FA Cup final and Guardiola opted to hand a debut to 19-year-old Argentine forward Claudio Echeverri rather than trust Grealish to turn the tie around.

He had long been expected to leave the club this summer, but a departure seems more likely than ever as the Daily Telegraph reports he will be left behind as City travel to the United States to contest the Club World Cup.

Grealish, now 29, was left out of Thomas Tuchel’s England squad to face Andorra and Senegal this month, but is hoping an improved 2025-26 season could see him play a role at the 2026 World Cup.

A season of consistent football will improve his chances of achieving that end, and City are reportedly willing to help him find a suitable option this summer.

Interest is anticipated from within the Premier League and abroad, though his £300,000-per-week wage package could prove a stumbling block. A loan move is also a possibility.

Grealish’s current City contract runs through June 2027.

City’s Club World Cup campaign will get underway on June 18, facing Wydad Casablanca in Philadelphia. They will also face Juventus and Emirati side Al Ain in the group stage.