Jack Grealish's transfer options ranked after Guardiola admission

Cameron Smith

6 Jan 2025 10:00 GMT
4 min read

Jack Grealish, Pep Guardiola, Man City — © IMAGO

Pep Guardiola has admitted that Jack Grealish will struggle to usurp Savinho in the Manchester City pecking order unless he rediscovers his best form.

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The England international failed to score a single goal at club level throughout the entirety of 2024 and he has only started six Premier League matches so far this season, despite Man City’s struggles.

Savinho, who arrived at the Etihad Stadium from sister club Troyes for a fee of €25 million in July, began his Man City career on the right flank, but he has enjoyed a renaissance on the opposite wing of late.

The Brazilian featured prominently as a left winger on loan at Girona last season, and he has registered one goal and three assists in his last two games after being shifted to the left flank by Guardiola.

“It’s easy,” Guardiola replied when asked why Savinho is currently preferred over Grealish as Man City’s left winger.

“As much as he [Grealish] looks at himself, he will see the competition and that he has to compete, himself. Savinho is in better shape and everything than Jack and that’s why I played Savinho.

“I want the Jack that won the Treble? Yeah, I want it. But I try to be honest with myself for that. What happened with Savinho’s delivery in the box? It’s higher than the other wingers in that position and so they have to fight.

“You can say ‘it’s unfair.’ If you think that, then it’s fine. But you have to prove and say 'okay, I’m going to fight with Savinho, to deserve to play in that position every single day, every single week and every single month.’

“I fought a lot for him [Grealish], I fought a lot for him to be here, to do it again and do it again, and I know that he can do it, because I saw him. I've seen his level and I want that every single training session and every single game. If not, there's Savinho.”

Who should Jack Grealish join?

With Grealish unlikely to become a guaranteed Man City starter, an exit could potentially be on the cards in 2025, especially if he is eager to be included in England’s squad for the World Cup next summer.

Data analytics experts SciSports currently rate Man City as Grealish’s ideal club, however a return to Aston Villa is ranked as his second-best option.

The England international racked up 213 first-team appearances for the Villa Park outfit during his time at the club, and a return was mooted last summer amid his patchy Man City form.

Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain all rank as suitable destinations for Grealish too, although his options change dramatically when prioritising ‘playing time.’

Current ETV

Jack Grealish

AM, M (L)

Man City

Jack Grealish

AM, M (L)

Man City

ETV Range

€27.2M - €45.4M

SciSports believe that if Grealish is desperate to be handed a more prominent role at his next club, then joining Benfica would be the smartest choice. The Englishman would likely be handed a key role with the Portuguese giants and regular minutes could help him rediscover his best form.

AS Roma, Crystal Palace and Ajax are also tipped as great options for Grealish if he is eager to leave Man City in order to prioritise game time.