Where next for Grealish if he leaves Man City as expected?

Jack Grealish played just 715 minutes of Premier League football in 2024-25

"It's a dream come true to be part of this club," Jack Grealish said in his first interview after joining Manchester City in 2021.

City paid a British transfer record fee of £100m to sign the England midfielder from Aston Villa.

Since then Grealish has become a three-time Premier League winner, playing a key role in City winning the Treble in his second season at the club.

However, over the past two years the 29-year-old's experience in Manchester has been more of a nightmare.

A mixture of injuries and sub-par performances have limited Grealish to only 17 Premier League starts in two seasons, with the lack of minutes also costing him a place in England's Euro 2024 squad.

As dethroned champions City played out their worst season under Pep Guardiola, which saw them struggle into a Champions League spot, Grealish was an unused substitute on 10 occasions during the second half of the campaign.

Now, 24 months after celebrating the Treble, he is set to leave City.

The right time to move on

Grealish's future at City is an issue that has never really gone away since a mixed debut season.

While his second season somewhat silenced the critics, in his third he looked a shadow of himself.

Grealish's fourth campaign ended with him being left out of City's matchday squad for their final, must-win Premier League game.

The signing of midfielder Tijjani Reijnders, and City being linked with playmaker Rayan Cherki, suggest Grealish's time is up.

And the England international is expected to be left out of City's squad for the Fifa Club World Cup in the United States later this month.

It should be noted Guardiola and the City board still love Grealish, as much for his attitude and popularity within the squad, as his quality on the pitch.

But there is now a consensus that this is the right time to move on, particularly given Guardiola has said he wants a smaller squad next term.

Grealish is in agreement. After a difficult season on and off the field, he believes it would be best for him to focus on his future and find a new club.

That raises the question of where Grealish - who has two years remaining on his contract - could go next.

The player is open to all options, though of course he has preferences.

Grealish wants a clean break and a permanent new home - rather than a loan move, a route taken by the likes of Manchester United duo Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho last season.

City would sanction a loan, although they'd prefer to sell in order to get Grealish's wages off the books and recoup part of the £100m fee they shelled out. They accept they will get nowhere near what they paid for him.

Grealish would of course be open to staying in the Premier League, with Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle, Everton and former club Villa all linked with him.

He wants to keep playing at the highest level possible, ideally in the Champions League, which Newcastle and Spurs can provide next season.

Grealish also wouldn't rule out a move to the continent - Barcelona, AC Milan and Napoli have all been mentioned, although the former's initial interest has now waned. Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan would seem potential options too.

The last resort would be a move to Saudi Arabia. Such a switch would lead to many suggesting his career is on the decline and questioning his England future. That said, Al-Ahli striker Ivan Toney received a recall from England manager Thomas Tuchel last month.

Financial obstacles could dictate move

With City and Grealish on the same page regarding a departure, that leaves finances as the main obstacle. There is going to be need for compromise.

Grealish is reported to earn £300,000 per week at City, a figure few clubs in world football could match.

Manchester United and Liverpool are arguably the two Premier League clubs that could, but neither are interested in the 29-year-old.

Grealish is contracted at Manchester City until 2027 but could a financial agreement be decided between the two to pave the way for an exit?

Even if Grealish took a substantial pay cut, a permanent return to boyhood club Villa is unlikely.

Villa have the biggest wage issue in the league - in 2024 their wage to revenue ratio was 91% - and are focused on reducing their wage bill over the summer, not increasing it, having missed out on Champions League football.

Then there is the question of whether or not he is the type of player wanted by Villa boss Unai Emery, despite being a former favourite of the Villa fans.

Newcastle would probably be the best bet in terms of wage capacity - a cut would still be necessary - though they don't have a huge amount of profit and sustainability rules (PSR) headroom to play with in terms of a transfer fee.

Spurs have long been linked with Grealish, but their summer outlay could be shackled by the more than £330m in unpaid transfer fees they owe, a considerable portion of which are due this summer.

Everton, again, would be unable to match Grealish's current wages.

Barcelona's interest has evaporated because of their financial issues and focus on other areas of recruitment, while it would be a stretch for AC Milan and Napoli - the latter are expected to sign Grealish's former City team-mate Kevin de Bruyne on a free transfer - to meet his wage demands.

That brings us back to the loan scenario - not ideal for either party, but possibly the most likely option. This would likely involve City subsidising a significant part of his wages, or a substantial loan fee being paid, opening up the potential for those mentioned above to get a deal over the line.

If City decided to take a massive hit on the £100m they paid for Grealish four years ago, then perhaps a suitor could afford to pay him a large sign-on fee to compensate for a drop in his wages.

If Grealish wants to keep his current salary - or even increase it - then perhaps Saudi Arabia is the only option.

All parties need to compromise to make a summer move happen, and bring an end to Grealish's mixed City story. One thing is for sure - it's complicated.