As we learned last week, Jack Grealish was going to be left out of the Manchester City FIFA Club World Cup roster. Today it became official, and you know what that means- it’s time for the English winger/attacking midfielder/forward to find a new club.
We knew this was going to happen too, as Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola implied that at season’s end.
Manchester City Club World Cup FYIs
Overall Tournament Preview: go here
Group G Matches:
June 18, 12pm EST, Wydad AC, Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
June 22, 9pm, EST, Al Anin, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA
June 26, 3pm, EST, Juventus, Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
So where does he go now? Well, it looks like it’s going to have to be a loan deal, not a permanent transfer, because his £300,000-a-week salary will turn off most clubs.
However, Everton FC are a strong contender at least, the overall front-runner at best right now. The Daily Mail reports that “no talks have taken place between the two clubs, but that the Merseyside outfit is aware of Grealish’s availability.”
Grealish became the first £100 million English born player, when City signed him from Aston Villa four years ago.
Man City Club World Cup Squad
Goalkeepers: Marcus Bettinelli, Stefan Ortega, Éderson
Defenders: Rúben Dias, John Stones, Nathan Aké, Rayan Aït-Nouri, Vitor Reis, Josko Gvardiol, Manuel Akanji, Abdukodir Khusanov, Rico Lewis
Midfielders: Nico Gonzalez, Rodri, Tijjani Reijnders, Ilkay Gündogan, Bernardo Silva, Matheus Nunes, Rayan Cherki, Claudio Echeverri, Phil Foden, Oscar Bobb, Nico O’Reilly
Forwards: Omar Marmoush, Erling Haaland, Savinho, Jérémy Doku
There has been talk of a move back to Villa while Bayer Leverkusen (now led by Erik ten Hag) are also said to be keen. However, the main rival to Everton, for the acquisition of Grealish, appears to be Newcastle United right now.
But a report from Football Insider suggests that Grealish prefers a switch to Everton, over Newcastle. And that’s interesting, considering where the two clubs finished in the Premier League table last season.
Newcastle can offer him Champions League football next season while the Toffees have no continental competition of any kind.
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