Jack Grealish returned for pre-season training last week at Manchester City, working on an individual programme as he builds up full fitness following a season-ending injury suffered while playing for Everton on loan last term. The 30-year-old winger is into the final year of his contract at City, and the likelihood is that he moves on this summer, even if new manager Enzo Maresca offered something of an olive branch in his first Blues press conference.
Fan favourite despite loan absence
When Manchester City bid farewell to Pep Guardiola at a packed Co-Op Live in late May, the biggest cheer of the night went to Grealish. He delivered the 2023 Super Cup to the stage as every trophy of the Guardiola era was brought out by Blues past and present. Grealish had spent the season on loan at Everton, but his absence had not detracted from the love City fans have for him.
Maresca connection offers slim hope
There is a chance, however slim, that Grealish could come back into first-team contention under Maresca, a man he formed a close relationship with during the 2023 Treble season when the Italian was assistant to Guardiola. Indeed the two have kept in touch since. Maresca said last week: "At the moment, he's here. He's a Man City player. I always said the same. In any club I join, I like to know if there are players that belong to the club. It's my duty to try to coach them. Jack is here. I have a good relation with Jack since I left. Also, we keep in touch, and the reason why is because he has a big heart and he's a very good guy. So this is the reason why. And then we see what happens."
Pre-season tour will be telling
The first indicator of what comes next for Grealish will arrive this week when City head out on their pre-season tour to Asia. The Blues travel on Tuesday ahead of games with Inter Milan, the K-League All-Stars and Atletico Madrid. It will be telling if Grealish is on the plane. A year ago Guardiola left him out of the Club World Cup squad to allow him to find a move away from the Etihad. If he is again left in Manchester it will be a pretty obvious sign that his future is away from City. Should he be on board, it would raise hopes of a Grealish revival and he could feature in the summer opener against Inter Milan, the opponents of one of Grealish's greatest nights when he started in the Champions League final win in 2023. The third option is he is left behind to work on his fitness ahead of the new season, an outcome that would not answer any questions of what next for the England international.
