
Manchester City
Premier League • England
Jack Grealish told to quit Man City for one of three Premier League rivals – but avoid Aston Villa return

Grealish has been told to get out of Man City - but where for?
Jack Grealish may need to leave Manchester City to avoid ‘having his legacy ruined’, a pundit has claimed, naming three Premier League clubs he could join – including one that ‘would be considered a massive step down’.
Grealish recently passed a year since his last goal for Man City and against Man Utd he once again drew a blank on his 17th appearance of the season.
Although under contract with Man City until 2027, Grealish could be fighting for his future next year, when he would likely cost a fraction of the £100m fee that was spent to sign him from Aston Villa in 2021.
The question is, who would take a punt on the 29-year-old given his decline in form over the past 12 months?
Well, according to former Watford and Birmingham City striker Troy Deeney, Grealish would ‘walk into’ the Tottenham team, could thrive for Chelsea, and would be wise to consider Newcastle as a destination.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Deeney explained: “Spurs, he walks into that team in every position. Whether that’s as a winger, No.10 or No.8.
“Arsenal, no, I don’t think he works at Arsenal. Liverpool, he doesn’t at Liverpool.
“He’s obviously not going to go Manchester United, but he’s better than what they’ve got.
“Newcastle, easy. There’s loads of teams, anyone outside the top four.
“I’d argue he’d do well at Chelsea, but they’ve got about 75 wingers. He’s probably too cheap for them at £100m to be fair, they’d want to waste a bit more money!
“Anyone outside the top four, he would easily go into and dominate. If he went to Newcastle, it would be considered a massive step down for him.
“But it’s a great club with a great fanbase and I think Jack needs to feel that again, feel that he’s loved, feel that the fanbase love him, but also he’s the man to drive them forward.”
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Grealish told to avoid Aston Villa return
Another move that has been mooted for Grealish would be a return to Aston Villa, where he previously played more than 200 times.
However, Deeney has a reason that Grealish should not go back to his former club – and not just because of his own affection for rivals Birmingham City.
Deeney said: “Genuinely for him, I always think if you go back, there’s an expectation you’re going to be that person you was when you left.
“I think a fresh start would be great for him and somewhere where he’s the main man again and everyone is giving him the ball.
“Because people like Jack, they need to have the ball every couple of minutes – and not being stood on the side – and when they get it, run a little bit and pass it back.
“But I think you’re going to see a new role for him at City, I think you’re going to see him as a No.8 – just driving out of midfield.
“I think he can handle that position really well, and that’ll be good for England as well.”
But even though there could still be a role for Grealish to adapt to with City, Deeney is worried he would undo his legacy if he stayed and continued not to have an impact.
The outspoken pundit claimed: “I think he is danger of having his legacy ruined.
“And what I mean by that is, I don’t think you can say he hasn’t lived up to his potential, because look at what he did at Villa and he did it for a sustained period of time.
“What’s happening now is, in football, it’s, ‘What have you done lately?’, and he hasn’t done a great deal lately due to injuries and being out of the team.”
Who else could leave Man City?
In addition to Grealish, another midfielder who could leave City in 2025 is Kevin De Bruyne, since he is approaching the end of his contract.
Reports have claimed he is being targeted for an MLS move, which could even take place in January if either of his two American suitors can agree a fee for his services.
Elsewhere, TEAMtalk has learned that Ruben Dias is someone City could cash in on – but only if it allows them to sign a top defender for their new era.