Exclusive: Grealish could complete romantic Aston Villa return as ex-Man City man assesses Guardiola treatment
Jack Grealish has been backed to rejoin Aston Villa in a cut-price deal amid the attacking midfielder’s ongoing struggles at Manchester City.
Just like in most other transfer windows, speculation has been building over a potential Villa return for Grealish as he continues to play a bit-part role at Manchester City. Merely 715 minutes in the Premier League summed up a rather dismal 2024/25 season for Grealish as he started just 16 matches out of a possible 57 across all competitions.
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Hide AdThe 39-time England international had a fairly decent start to life at City as he was a regular in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 title-winning campaigns, but he’s been a backup to the likes of Jeremy Doku, Phil Foden and Savinho ever since. To make matters worse, recent reports suggest Pep Guardiola has told Grealish he must leave this summer.
Richard Dunne, a former Premier League stalwart who racked up 352 career appearances for City before playing 111 times for Villa, believes Grealish should consider his options in the coming weeks and months. The 45-year-old, who holds the unfortunate record of the most own goals in Premier League history, admits it’s tricky to know the ins and outs of Grealish’s relationship with Guardiola but thinks it’s time to move on nonetheless.
A return to Villa shouldn’t be ruled out, Dunne believes, as it could be a suitable move for all parties. “It’s difficult to know how Jack Grealish has been treated by Pep Guardiola. Pep's obviously said that he's not performing and not training at the levels that are expected,” Dunne exclusively told Birmingham World, via William Hill.
“If that's the case, that’s fair enough. If the player thinks they have been trying enough in training and the manager doesn't, that’s where there becomes a collision which isn't going to get solved. The player has to make sure that he is the best player in training, not just that he's training well.
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Hide Ad“Whatever the case, it's not going to work out at Man City. Whether he goes back to Aston Villa, they're looking for a player in that position because obviously Marcus Rashford has gone back to Manchester United.
“If Grealish goes back to Villa and he's the player from a few years ago, then brilliant, he’d be a great signing. But there are so many opportunities for Grealish. It comes down to what type of player and what type of career he wants to have.
“How does he want to be remembered? A player who won a few titles at City, or a player who consistently won trophies and improved teams wherever he went? Jack could be brilliant at Villa and then the fans will love him again,” Dunne concluded.
Talk of a Villa Park reunion for Grealish has gained mixed reception from supporters. Some feel the 29-year-old would be a brilliant addition to help Unai Emery’s side continue their immense trajectory but others can’t quite get over his original departure. Both perspectives are understandable, in fairness.
Who you like to see Grealish re-sign for Villa? Let us know in the comments section.
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