Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has dropped a strong hint over his club’s next blockbuster transfer deal.
City have been very active in the transfer market already this summer, splashing out over €130 million on new signings. Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Rayan Cherki are the key names who have been added to the squad, with more expected to come before the end of the window.
But before Guardiola adds more players to his team, he will first have to make room for them with exits.
One player who finds himself on the way out of the club is England international winger Jack Grealish, who has failed to properly establish himself at the Etihad Stadium since arriving in a €117.5m deal from Aston Villa in 2021.
Guardiola has now confirmed that the 29-year-old will depart this summer.
Speaking ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup opener against Wydad Casablanca, the manager said: “He had a conversation with the club and we decided what was for the best.
“Jack is an exceptional player. The only reason why he didn’t play last season is of course my decision. We decide that he has to play. The club was honest, he was honest. Incredible love and respect.”
Guardiola confirms the inevitable
Grealish has been a high-profile omission from City’s Club World Cup squad, with that decision effectively signalling the end for him at the club. While Guardiola would not be drawn into saying that, the former Barcelona and Bayern boss said that that “the best” for the player was that he stayed behind.
His Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) has fallen to €43.7m, having reached a high of nearly €90m shortly after joining Man City.
Numerous clubs are thought to be in the race to sign Grealish, with Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur both interested in the attacker, who has two years to run on his Man City contract.
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