Jack Grealish’s Manchester City future is once again in doubt.
The Englishman spent last season on loan at Everton and impressed, before an injury cut his spell short. He has now returned to Man City but hasn’t linked up with their squad in pre-season due to his injury.
New Man City manager Enzo Maresca has admitted that he hasn’t spoken to Grealish yet, but will once the club are back from their tour. And he reiterated that Grealish remains a Man City player.
Still, Grealish is being linked to a number of clubs this summer. And it might be a good time for him to move away from Man City permanently. The question is, where?
Who should be Jack Grealish’s next club?
Dream: Aston Villa
Grealish and Aston Villa didn’t part in the best of terms. A lot of Villans fans were unhappy with his departure, seen as chasing money in his big move to Man City. But some of those feelings have waned and Grealish has been linked with a reunion.
Grealish saw it all at Aston Villa. He was the bad boy wonderkid at a struggling Premier League team, which eventually suffered relegation. But he then matured and led the Villans back to the top flight before leaving for bigger things.
During his time at Aston Villa, Grealish scored 32 goals and provided 37 assists in 213 appearances across all competitions. He was the hometown hero, willing to put everything on the line for the Villans. While he isn’t that player anymore, Grealish can be a crucial signing for Villa.
Unai Emery has said goodbye to Morgan Rogers his summer and have brought in Alejandro Garnacho on loan for the left-wing role. But Garnacho wasn’t exactly pulling up any trees at Chelsea, and Grealish would certainly provide good a good competitor for that left-wing role.
Realistic: Everton
Although Everton did not opt to trigger the option to buy in Grealish’s loan deal, the Hill Dickinson Stadium remains a possibility. Before breaking his foot in January, Grealish looked to be on his way to back to his best. There were even talk among fans of a possible England recall during the build up to the World Cup.
While that may not have materialised even with a fit Grealish, he was definitely deserving on the conversations. Grealish was directly involved in eight goals for Everton in the Premier League last season, scoring two and providing six assists. Those averaged out to a total of 0.44 direct goal involvements per 90, with 0.33 assists per 90 the third-best average in the Premier League among those with at least 1,500 minutes played.
At Everton alone, Grealish provided more assists than any other player and only Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (12) and Beto (10) were directly involved in more goals. Grealish also ranked second for his 38 chances created, even though he didn’t feature past January. Per 90, his average of 2.1 chances created per 90 was unrivalled at Everton. James Garner, who created the most chances for Everton in total, only did his at an average of 1.48 per 90.
Grealish’s time at Everton did not get the ending it deserved due to the winger’s injury. But the Toffees can give him another chance to be their creative spark, while also aiding the development of newly-signed Tyrique George.
Wildcard: Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid are the latest club to be linked with a move for Jack Grealish. And it’s an interesting one. The capital club have a history in signing English players, with both Kieran Tripper and Conor Gallagher donning the red and white in recent years. Both enjoyed good spells there, with 163 appearances combined. Trippier, in particular, endeared himself to the Atleti fans during his three-year stay.
The links to Atletico Madrid are interesting. They aren’t exactly lacking in the left-wing department, and Grealish doesn’t stand out as an immediate starter. Alex Baena will enter the 2026/27 season off the back of an excellent showing for Spain at the World Cup, featuring heavily in their journey to glory. Thiago Almada also had his moments for runners-up Argentina. And Ademola Lookman averaged 3.04 shots and 1.45 chances created per 90 in La Liga after his winter arrival.
According to reports, Diego Simeone has his eye on Grealish due to the Englishman’s work rate — a key attribute for Atletico Madrid players. Grealish averaged 1.16 tackles per 90 in the Premier League last season, alongside 2.15 possessions won in the middle third. He also won possession 0.88 times per 90 in the attacking third, and 1.77 times per 90 in the defensive third.
That sounds like a Simeone-type player.
Squawka Suggests: Go abroad
Even if a move to Atletico Madrid doesn’t materialise, it would be good for Grealish to get away from England. Although things have quietened down, Grealish is still under the intense scrutiny of the English media, particularly for his fondness of partying in his private life.
A move away from those prying eyes would allow Grealish to focus on himself, staying mentally strong while also getting back to full physical fitness. Links to Saudi Arabia have also emerged, but that seems like it would be the wrong decision. Grealish just wouldn’t fit in there. But there were links to Italy last summer and a move to a slightly slower league in Serie A may be the best option at this point.
Grealish will turn 31 in September, and it feels like this next move could be the most important decision of his career.