Jack Grealish has edged closer to leaving Manchester City after being left out of Pep Guardiola’s matchday squad for Sunday’s crucial trip to Fulham, reports claim.
Grealish, who joined the club in a sensational £100million move from Aston Villa in 2021 and shattered the Premier League’s transfer record, is set to hold talks over his future this summer after his season was brought to a premature end.
He was an unused substitute in City’s FA Cup final defeat by Crystal Palace and did not travel with his team-mates to Craven Cottage, according to The Telegraph.
The playmaker has featured for just 143 minutes across six appearances in the top-flight since the turn of the year and was not brought off the bench in 11 matches. He was also the last player to leave team-mate Kevin De Bruyne’s farewell party in the week.
Grealish was the final member of the first team squad to exit at 1.35am and, decked out in ripped jeans, squeezed his way past a member of staff.
Boss Guardiola has also confirmed a decision will shortly be made over whether Grealish departs the Etihad over the coming weeks.
Jack Grealish was the last to leave Kevin De Bruyne’s farewell party – exiting at 1.35am
The midfielder has been left out of Manchester City’s matchday squad for their trip to Fulham
The £100million playmaker will hold talks over his future but has edged closer to leaving
City sources have indicated to The Telegraph that he could even miss the Club World Cup in the United States should a move be deemed the best way forward.
Grealish is expected to have no shortage of potential suitors in that instance despite his lack of minutes in 2025, and time is running out for him to find regular game time as he looks to return to the England fold under Thomas Tuchel.
He was not named in Tuchel’s latest squad for matches against Andorra and Senegal.
The 29-year-old has two years left to run on the lucrative six-year contract he penned after arriving from Villa – but his hefty £300,000 weekly wage packet may prove a stumbling block for interested clubs eyeing up a swoop this summer.
Grealish has endured a staggering reverse in fortune over the course of his City stint, having played a crucial role in their Treble-winning campaign just two seasons ago.
The final nail in the coffin appears to have been his FA Cup final snub. With City 1-0 down late on, Guardiola instead turned to untried youngster Claudio Echeverri, 19.
The decision prompted Alan Shearer to claim Grealish should leave City.
‘City didn’t deserve to win it, they didn’t do enough to win it,’ Shearer said on The Rest Is Football. ‘You mentioned Grealish. His time is up at Man City, he has to leave.
Grealish has seen his game time restricted since the turn of the year and clubs are interested
Time is running out for Grealish to find regular minutes and return to the England fold
Grealish has featured for just 143 minutes across six appearances in the top-flight in 2025
‘For him [Guardiola] to bring a debutant on, a young boy and [Ilkay] Gundogan on when they’re desperate for a goal rather than Jack Grealish… his time is up, he’s done at Man City, he has to leave. For whatever reason, Pep’s done with him.
‘He doesn’t like him, his time is up, it really is.’
After the defeat at Wembley, Guardiola said talks would take place with current director of football Txiki Begiristain and his successor, Hugo Viana.
‘We didn’t talk, I didn’t talk with him,’ Guardiola said.
‘I’m saying these things, and people don’t believe me, but it belongs to the agents and the club and Txiki, in this case, and Hugo as well. Both will decide.
‘What is going to happen will happen, but we are going to start to play again. But of course he has to come back to play minutes to start to play again.’
Notably, Grealish was the last to leave the celebrations after De Bruyne threw a night out to say farewell to his City team-mates and their loved ones.
The departing legend, set to join Napoli in Italy, booked a restaurant in Manchester to mark the occasion.
