Manchester City have officially omitted England international Jack Grealish from their 27-man squad for the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup in the United States .
The 29-year-old winger, who signed for City in 2021 for a British-record fee of £100 million, now faces increasing speculation over his future with the club . During the 2024–25 campaign, Grealish made just 16 starts in 32 appearances and recorded limited goal contributions—a further decline after two seasons of underwhelming form .
In his final Premier League outing, Grealish wasn’t selected for the fixture against Fulham, prompting City boss Pep Guardiola to suggest that the player may need to seek regular playing time elsewhere . Guardiola commented that Grealish “needs to play football every three days—with us or at another club” .
This exclusion is widely interpreted as a signal that City are preparing for his departure this summer. With two years remaining on his contract, there is growing interest both domestically and abroad. Tottenham Hotspur and Everton are reportedly among the English clubs monitoring his situation. Meanwhile, European suitors—including AC Milan, Napoli, Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan and Bayer Leverkusen—as well as Saudi sides have expressed interest .
Grealish has recently used social media to defend himself after criticism over his omission, pointing out that he scored in each of his last three substitute appearances .
Although overshadowed by new additions such as Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki, and Rayan Ait‑Nouri—who have all been included in the Club World Cup squad—Grealish’s omission may, in reality, reflect a broader shift in City’s squad strategy .
With his focus now turning firmly toward securing regular playing time ahead of the 2026 World Cup, a transfer or loan appears increasingly likely as City look to streamline their roster .
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