After a disappointing campaign in the Premier League, Manchester City may look at the summer transfer window as a chance to rebuild their squad ahead of the 2025-26 season.
One player who has struggled to make an impact at the Etihad Stadium is Jack Grealish. The 29 year old attacker is reportedly subject to interest from Newcastle United.
The Magpies are said to be interested in Grealish but only on a loan deal. The attacker is likely to have lots of interest in the summer after the 29 year old is set to be left out of City’s Club World Cup squad.
Who is Jack Grealish?
Jack Grealish is the product of Aston Villa’s academy and after a loan spell at Notts County, he made his debut for his boyhood club in 2014. The 29 year old made over 200 appearances for the West Midlands side, helping them win promotion back to the Premier League in 2019.
After keeping Villa in the Premier League, Grealish moved to Manchester City in a deal that was reportedly the most amount paid for an English player ever. Despite a trophy-laden four years at the Etihad Stadium including three Premier League titles, the FA Cup and the Champions League, Grealish has not had the desired impact at Manchester City.
On top of his domestic achievements, the attacker has made 39 appearances for England, scoring four goals. After being left out of Manchester City’s Club World Cup squad it is likely that Grealish will want a move away and he is reportedly subject to interest from Newcastle but only on loan.
Why would Jack Grealish want to leave Manchester City?
Looking at the silverware that Grealish has won at Manchester City, many would question why the 29 year old would want to leave. The issue for the attacker is the amount of game time he is getting.
During the 2024-25 season, Grealish played 715 minutes for the Citizens with only seven starting berths. The lack of playing minutes has affected his output, totalling one goal and one assist across the Premier League season.
Another reason why Grealish might be looking to leave Manchester City is due to his England chances. Thomas Tuchel left the 29 year old out of his most recent squad and has been clear on why this is the case:
“He needs to make himself available by playing”
“He’s a player who needs minutes and minutes and minutes and simply does not get them for a very long time”
At the age of 29, Grealish will be looking to flourish and get regular minutes at the highest level of football. With this in mind, it could be the most logical thing for Grealish to depart Manchester City and have a greater impact on another side in the Premier League.
Why are Newcastle United interested in Jack Grealish?
When looking at arguably his best season for Manchester City it is clear why Newcastle would be interested in signing Grealish. During the 2022-23 season, the 29 year old totalled five goals and 11 assists across all competitions and helped his side win the treble.
His ability to create chances would be a key asset to Newcastle, creating an average of 2.18 chances per 90 minutes. On top of this, the attacker won 3.4 fouls per match on average which would allow the Magpies to continue their good record from set pieces having scored 12 goals from them during the 2024-25 season.
Adding to this is his quality in 1v1 situations. Grealish won an average of 7.07 duels attempted per 90 minutes and had a 61.6% dribble success rate across the 2022-23 season.
The Manchester City attacker may be seen as a replacement by Eddie Howe for one of his England teammates as well. Given his impressive performances at St James’ Park, Anthony Gordon may be subject to transfer offers this summer which would increase the need of Newcastle signing someone like Grealish.
How likely is Jack Grealish to leave Manchester City?
There is evidently a motive for Grealish to leave the Etihad Stadium given the lack of game time and reduced chance of being in the 2026 World Cup England squad. The question will be whether Manchester City would be happy to see him leave on a loan deal.
Despite a number of clubs likely to be interested in signing Grealish, it is unlikely that they will be willing to match his £300,000-a-week wages to sign him on a permanent deal. Any deal for Grealish will likely involve Manchester City needing to pay part of his wages for the year and whether they do this will likely affect the chances of Grealish’s move to Newcastle.