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Premier League
Jack Grealish remains sidelined with a foot injury and was left out of Manchester City's pre-season tour to Hong Kong and Seoul, raising fresh questions about his future at the Etihad as Saudi Pro League clubs and Everton circle.
Jack Grealish was back on the training pitches at Manchester City last week when pre-season preparations got underway, yet when the squad jetted off for an 11-day tour of Hong Kong and Seoul, the winger was nowhere to be seen. That absence tells you everything you need to know about where things stand between Grealish and the club that paid £100 million for him.
Sources say the 30-year-old is still recovering from the foot injury he picked up in January while on loan at Everton. Fair enough: injuries happen. But the optics here are brutal. A player entering the final year of his Manchester City contract, left behind while his new manager takes the rest of the squad on a bonding trip to Asia. If that doesn't scream "transition", nothing does.
New Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has acknowledged that Grealish is still at the club, which is about as lukewarm an endorsement as you'll hear from a head coach. No promises about a role in the squad. No public reassurances. Just an acknowledgement of existence. For a player of Grealish's profile and price tag, that silence is deafening.
With no indications that Manchester City are preparing to offer Grealish fresh terms, the writing appears to be on the wall. His contract expires at the end of the 2026-27 season, and the clock is ticking for the club to either reintegrate him or cash in.
Transfer interest is circling. Clubs from the Saudi Pro League have reportedly registered their interest, which would represent the kind of lucrative exit that has tempted several Premier League names in recent windows. Meanwhile, Everton are said to be open to taking Grealish on loan again, a move that would at least get him playing regular football while City figure out the bigger picture.
The Everton angle is intriguing. Grealish's stint at Goodison Park was cut short by the very injury keeping him sidelined now, so there's unfinished business there. But for bettors and fans tracking the Premier League transfer market, the Saudi option could shift the landscape entirely. A permanent move away from the Etihad feels more likely with each passing week.
Grealish is not the only high-profile name left twiddling his thumbs at the City Football Academy. Kalvin Phillips also missed the pre-season tour and is reportedly available for transfer. Phillips has barely featured since arriving at City and, like Grealish, looks like a player whose time at the club has run its course. It is a stark reminder that even at the biggest clubs, expensive signings can fall through the cracks.
For Manchester City, this is a squad-building exercise under Maresca. The new boss is clearly making decisions about who fits his vision, and right now, Grealish and Phillips are on the outside looking in. For the Premier League title race and fantasy managers alike, Grealish's availability (or lack thereof) could ripple through multiple clubs depending on where he lands. And for anyone watching the Manchester City transfer news this summer, this story is far from over.
Jon
