Jack Grealish’s Manchester City career may not be over just yet. New head coach Enzo Maresca has stopped short of confirming the winger’s exit this summer, insisting he wants to personally assess him during pre-season after a productive loan spell at Everton.
Maresca leaves the door open
Grealish returned to the City Football Academy this month after his season-long loan at Everton was cut short by a foot fracture suffered against Aston Villa in January. Despite the injury, he had made a strong impression on Merseyside, chipping in with goals and assists and creating more chances from open play than almost anyone else in the Premier League before he was sidelined.
Speaking at his first press conference as City manager following Pep Guardiola’s departure, Maresca was asked directly about Grealish’s future. He didn’t offer any guarantees, but he made his personal feelings clear:
“Jack, at the moment is here. I have a good relationship with Jack. Since I left, we’ve been keeping in touch. The reason why is because he has a big heart and is a very good guy. We will see what happens.”
A treble winner facing an uncertain future
Grealish joined City from Aston Villa in a big-money move back in 2021 and has gone on to make 157 appearances in all competitions, scoring 17 goals and providing 23 assists. His trophy haul at the Etihad includes three Premier League titles and the club’s first-ever Champions League triumph in 2022–23 — a campaign in which Maresca himself was part of Guardiola’s coaching staff.
With only a year left on his contract, though, the smart money has been on a permanent departure. Everton have been strongly linked with a follow-up move, even after tying down Tyrique George on a permanent deal, and manager David Moyes has made no secret of how highly the club rate Grealish’s contribution during his time there.
For now, Grealish is working to build fitness with City’s first team and could even travel with the squad on their pre-season tour of Asia. Whether that leads to a genuine chance to reclaim his place — or simply a smoother path to a summer exit — remains to be seen. Maresca has made clear the decision won’t be rushed, and Grealish’s next few weeks in training could go a long way toward answering the question himself.
