Manchester City set Jack Grealish asking price after Pep Guardiola green light on exit | OneFootball

Manchester City are ready to accept a major loss on the £100 million fee they paid for Jack Grealish in 2021 as the England international prepares for a summer exit, as per a new report.

Grealish is set to be excluded from Manchester City’s squad for the FIFA Club World Cup campaign as all parties look to facilitate an amicable departure for the former Aston Villa captain, who has two years left on his current deal at the Etihad Stadium.

Pep Guardiola left the 29-year-old out of his matchday squad to face Fulham on the final day of the Premier League campaign – after giving teenager Claudio Echeverri his senior Manchester City debut off the bench in the FA Cup final over a cameo for Grealish, who failed to come on in the defeat.

Grealish has struggled with injuries and confidence since playing a starring role in Manchester City’s historic 2022-23 treble-winning season and there is a reported wider acceptance at the club and within the attacker’s camp that now is the time to part ways.

Sun Sport have reported that Manchester City are aware they will have to accept a significant hit on the club-record £100 million fee they spent to sign Grealish from Aston Villa in 2021 if they are to move the highly-paid forward on this summer.

Manchester City are willing to accept as little as £40 million to facilitate a permanent exit for Grealish, with several clubs in the Premier League and across Europe holding an interest in the three-time Premier League winner.

City would prefer a permanent sale but it is understood that the club would sanction a loan for the Birmingham-born star, who has failed to kick on from his 2022-23 heroics and has come to terms with the fact that it just hasn’t worked for him under Guardiola since.

Guardiola has defended Grealish throughout his troubles in the last two years but the Manchester City boss has reason to have been left frustrated with his most expensive signing, who has left it too late to convince the Catalan he can rely on Grealish next season.

Grealish’s representatives are reported to be actively hunting for a new club and with the Englishman not part of the Club World Cup squad, things could speed up in the weeks to come ahead of the reopening of the summer transfer window in mid-July.

Guardiola has kept the door open for Grealish to stay and challenge for a spot in the starting XI next season but the Manchester City manager has admitted he will understand if his record signing wants a new chapter.

It just hasn’t worked out for Grealish at the Etihad Stadium in the last two years and with the forward earning a reported £300,000-a-week wage, club officials would prefer to part ways to trim the wage bill amidst a major squad revamp.

Manchester City have agreed deals to sign Wolves left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri and AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders – both of whom will have medicals in Manchester before completing their transfers over the weekend – and remain in talks to sign Lyon midfielder Rayan Cherki.