Why Manchester City Should Trust Jack Grealish In The 2025/26 Season Amidst Strong Transfer Rumors Despite Falling Out Of Favour Under Pep Guardiola? | OneFootball

Jack Grealish is currently in a tense situation at Manchester City. The Englishman lost prominence in the squad in the 2024/25 season, as he spent more time on the bench than on the pitch. Many feel that his time at City is already over, and there is even talk of the 29-year-old possibly leaving the Sky Blues in the summer transfer window. But, there is an unpopular opinion on offer that it would be a mistake to sell him now, as for me, Guardiola can still bring him back to his best. The player has qualities that can compete with the best technical wingers in the world, and with a long season ahead of him, his experience can come in clutch in tight games.

Guardiola must try to bring back his confidence. It will not just be about minutes on the pitch; it’s about role. Grealish is lost if he only receives the ball close to the touchline, and that’s how they restrict him. He needs more freedom, because at his best, the Englishman connected between the lines, dragged markers, retained the ball, and patiently found space. Doku doesn’t do that, or even Foden when he starts from the left. Grealish at his best offers a flow in a team used to playing at a certain tempo, and that serves to cool down tense games.

Why Manchester City Should Trust Jack Grealish In The 2025/26 Season Amidst Strong Transfer Rumors Despite Falling Out Of Favour Under Pep Guardiola?

BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND – MARCH 30: Jack Grealish of Manchester City gets off the team bus during the Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final match between AFC Bournemouth and Manchester City at Vitality Stadium on March 30, 2025 in Bournemouth, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Pep should try to use him in games where possession matters more than transition. Against low blocks, his ability to attract fouls and provoke mistakes in dangerous areas is useful. The problem in 2024/25 was that Grealish lacked consistency and backing. He came back from injury and did not find his rhythm in two weeks. A player like that needs five or six games in a row to get his spark back. Guardiola usually looks to rotate his squad, and that too with games coming thick and fast for his team, but in this case, he should keep him in the eleven for a whole month, then the Spaniard will see results.

Besides, Grealish sacrifices himself a lot for the team. He defends, runs, and closes down passing lanes, and doesn’t protest if he is changed, and on a team level, that is a very important factor. In a locker room full of stars, having profiles with hunger and humility is a must. Selling him now would be rash, as City don’t need that money urgently; for me, they need internal solutions, and Grealish, if well used, could be one of them.

We have to stop thinking about transfers every time a player loses prominence. Guardiola convinced him to come, and now it’s up to him to bring back the player who shone at Aston Villa. He won’t do it in a week, but if there is patience, City can once again enjoy a winger with brains. Beyond his style, Grealish understands the game, and in a team that sometimes becomes predictable, that’s worth a lot.