We already knew that Kevin de Bruyne is leaving Manchester City this summer, but now we know his destination. More on that in a bit, as first we need to cover the likely second big departure- Jack Grealish. His exit isn’t confirmed, but when a manager speaks like this about a player, well, it’s basically saying a parting of ways is likely coming.
“It was selection,” Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said of Grealish missing out of the Championship Sunday win over Fulham. “The last two months, month and a half there were five or six players at home every time and this time I decided for these guys. No more than that.
Jack Grealish
“Of course Jack has to play. He’s an unbelievable player that has to play football every three days. It didn’t happen this season and last season either.
“He needs to do it. With us or another place. It’s a question for Jack, his agent and the club.”
In the summer of 2021, City made Grealish the first £100 million English born player ever, when they signed him from Aston Villa. It hasn’t worked out, and he’s been a huge, expensive flop. He only had one goal and one assist in the Premier League this season, where he made just seven starts.
His best season was 2022-23, when he had five goals and seven assists in 23 league starts. However, his overall body of work has been lacking and wherever he goes next, it’ll have to be a club that has big time money. Grealish has been linked to Newcastle United, and there is also talk that he could return to Aston Villa.
Kevin de Bruyne
Shifting gears to De Bruyne, he had been linked to clubs all over the world, in multiple leagues. As we discussed, a move to the Chicago Fire FC, in Major League Soccer, would have been a perfect fit. It’s not going to happen though, as it appears Napoli is his next move.
According to Napoli chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis, the midfield maestro, regarded by many to now be the greatest player in City history, has bought a house in Naples. So it’s almost certainly going to happen, but it’s not signed, sealed, delivered yet.
RAI, as cited in Goal, quotes De Laurentiis as saying:
“Could De Bruyne be nearby to celebrate Napoli’s title? Probably yes. He bought a beautiful house here in the city, I had a call with him, his wife, and his nine-year-old son this morning, it was a beautiful sight. There is nothing signed yet.”
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter