A lot has been going on at Manchester City since the beginning of the ongoing transfer market with multiple new additions to the squad at the Etihad.
With the introduction of new signees to Pep Guardiola’s squad, doubts over the future of some existing players have also emerged and one such name is Jack Grealish.
Grealish has fallen behind in Guardiola’s pecking order in the last two seasons, resulting in limited minutes on the pitch. To add to the list of uncertainties, the Catalan manager made a worrying comment on the 29-year-old’s future at the Etihad.
Grealish, who arrived at Man City from his boyhood club Aston Villa in 2021, started 16 of the 32 appearances he made in the 2024-25 campaign. Several reports have suggested that the Englishman is expected to make a move away from the Etihad this summer.
Former Man City star Micah Richards has recently addressed Grealish’s current situation at the club, and referred to it as ‘sad.’
What did Micah Richards say about Man City’s Jack Grealish?
Richards and Grealish have shared the pitch alongside each other in Aston Villa for four years. The English winger has been widely hailed for his performances at his boyhood club, where he registered 32 goals and 43 assists in 213 appearances.
📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
While speaking on the podcast The Rest Is Football, Richards recalled (comments via Manchester City News) Grealish’s stride at Aston Villa and said,
“No, it’s sad though, isn’t it? It’s sad because I don’t know if I’m biased. I don’t know, I don’t think I’m biased because I’ve seen him week in, week out at Villa and I know how good he is, and he can still be.”
“I think he’s played a little bit within himself, and I think we’ve discussed that a lot on Match of the Day, haven’t we? But he’s playing in a system and a format which suits the rest of the team, not necessarily him. I don’t think that’s making excuses for him. I just think that’s the fact and especially when he was at Villa. When he was at Villa, teams weren’t playing the low block, so he had space to run into,” added Richards.
Richards, then spoke about the difference between playing for Villa and City and mentioned that it is best for Grealish to ‘move on’ now. However, the pundit continued to express ‘sadness’ over the situation, claiming that we did not get to see the ‘best’ the Englishman has to offer.
“When you’re at Man City, everyone’s playing a low block and you’ve got to try and break them down. Unfortunately, he’s just not been at the level we all expect. He did really well in the season when they won the treble. I think he was a key player in that. But yeah, maybe I agree with you. Best for both parties to move on,” he said.
“Yeah, but I think it’s sad, not because he’s got to move on. I think it’s sad because we’ve not seen the best of Jack Grealish. I think that’s why it’s more sad for me, knowing his capabilities on the football field. That’s where the sadness comes from. But I hope he goes somewhere and absolutely smashes it, because I think he will,” concluded Richards.
Grealish was also recently left out of Man City’s squad for the Club World Cup. With his current contract at Man City being valid until the summer of 2027, it remains to be seen what lies next for the Aston Villa graduate.
Manchester City news and related links
