Paul Merson makes shock Jack Grealish claim after ex-Villa man’s first season with Manchester City

Paul Merson has said that former Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish doesn’t fit in at Manchester City.

Grealish became the most expensive British footballer of all time following his £100 million pound move to Premier League champions Manchester City from Villa Park after the European Championships with England last summer.

It’s been a mixed campaign so far for Grealish in his debut season with Pep Guardiola’s team.

Although he could be about to win the Premier League title with City, the former Villa skipper has been in and out of the starting line-up for much of the season, and he’s recently found himself on the bench for Manchester City’s biggest league and Champions League games.

Grealish also came off the bench for City during their dramatic 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid last night (4 May).

With City leading 1-0 at the time, Grealish had a shot cleared off the line by Ferland Mendy with three minutes remaining, and seconds later he saw another effort saved by Thibaut Courtois as Guardiola’s side were knocked out of Europe once again.

Paul Merson on Grealish’s future at Manchester City

In his latest column for Sky Sports, former Villa midfielder and pundit Paul Merson said he never saw the Grealish move working.

He wrote: “I had a feeling it would be like this - I didn’t get the move to Man City.

“He’s a top player, I’m a big fan of Jack. I didn’t see it working really though. From the age of six he’s been taught to get the ball, dribble with it and beat everybody. From the age of six.

“Then he comes through the ranks, gets into the Villa team and keeps doing that, and then goes to a team that is all pass, pass, pass. 20 years he’s been taught one way and now he’s got to stop doing that and pass the ball. And it’s hard. It’s hard.

“He’s been getting the ball, beating the world, and then do what you want Jack. Now, he gets the ball and has to pass it. He might turn round and say he’s loving every minute, but I think he’s finding it difficult at the moment.

“Pep is one of the best coaches in the world and he won’t want to be seen to be unable to change a player yet, so I think he’ll stay this summer, but Jack wants to play football. It’ll be interesting.”

‘They might sell him’

“He’s got to keep playing a certain way, they want to pass and they all know what they’re doing. They have a plan, and he doesn’t play that way. He gets on the ball and he wants to beat people, now he’s got to change that at 25, 26 years of age.”

“I don’t think he’s going to get used to doing it. I think they might sell him, I might be wrong. Maybe not this summer, but is the lad enjoying it? You’ve got to ask him.”

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