Jack Grealish is willing to “fight for his place” with Manchester City despite rumours suggesting he is searching for a new club, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Manchester City broke their transfer record to sign Grealish from Aston Villa in the summer of 2021. During his debut season, though, the attacking midfielder struggled to justify his nine-figure price tag.
Grealish only scored three times in the Premier League from 26 appearances for the champions. Although regularly defended by head coach Pep Guardiola, he only completed 90 minutes on 15 occasions in the league.
This season, he has made two starts and one substitute appearance in the Premier League, scoring once. Claims recently emerged that the former Aston Villa captain could already be looking elsewhere.
Reports have suggested Grealish might want to find a new club next year. However, he is still under contract at the Etihad Stadium until 2027.
And according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, there is still time for Grealish to make a name for himself at Manchester City.
Indeed, the Italian reporter has cited information he has been given about where the 27-year-old’s focus really is.
Romano wrote for Caught Offside: “At the moment, the answer I’m getting is that Grealish is 100% focused on Manchester City, World Cup and nothing else.
“He’s prepared to fight for his place at Man City so we’ll see in 2023 what happens, but there’s absolutely nothing decided or imminent. I think he deserves some time after just one season with Guardiola.”
In contrast to his time with Manchester City, which has brought seven goals and four assists from 45 games, Grealish recorded 32 goals and 43 assists from 213 appearances for Aston Villa.
Hence, he contributes to a goal around once every four games for Manchester City. Previously, he was involved in a goal around every third match for Aston Villa.
Grealish needs to replicate Aston Villa form for Manchester City
Therefore, the statistics show his output has decreased, which may be a surprise given he is playing with better teammates. But at the same time, it is understandable while Grealish is battling to establish himself among those higher calibre players.
Still, everyone knows that his high price tag means he will always be under scrutiny. This season might not be make or break just yet. But it will certainly be an important one to see if he is capable of competing at this level.
But as Romano alluded to, with a World Cup coming up, perhaps his club future will not be the main thing on Grealish’s mind at the moment. He must merely focus on getting into a rhythm for Manchester City before trying to impress with England in Qatar.
Even his goal contribution ratio is better with his national team, despite him only starting 12 of his 23 international caps. His talent is there, but the question is whether he can provide the consistency needed at the top level.
After spending so much on him, Manchester City will still be hoping he can. After all, if they were to sell him next year, his value might be a lot lower than what they invested.
For now, he must keep working on his development in Guardiola’s squad. But of course, the pressure will be on.
