Jack Grealish was part of a big-money move from Aston Villa to Premier League giants, Manchester City in the summer of 2021. The left-winger was a part of what was the most expensive transfer for an England international at the time. At the request of Pep Guardiola, the Mancunian club agreed to pay an amount of over $100 million to his boyhood club, Aston Villa. Grealish was even assigned the number 10 upon his arrival, a number previously worn by club legend, Sergio Aguero.
Almost three years after his move to City, Jack Grealish has not been able to win over the masses with his performances and displays. A regular occupier of the left-wing position, Grealish’s goal contributions represent a shocking situation for a $100 million transfer.
Recently, a statistic shared on social media highlighted the 28-year-old’s dire situation by comparing his career goals for Manchester City to Alejandro Garnacho’s goal tally for Manchester United. The two have the same amount of goals for their respective clubs with the latter being nine years younger.
Pep Guardiola, though, still displays a lot of trust in Grealish’s abilities. His tendency to keep the ball is appreciated by Guardiola as it suits Manchester City’s possession-based style of play. Jack Grealish is still the first choice for the Catalan manager, especially in big games. The fanbase, although, does not agree with the manager’s views and is convinced that the left wing at City needs an upgrade.
Jack Grealish’s failure to live up to his price tag at Manchester City
Manchester City are renowned for not spending a hefty amount of transfer fees on a single player. With the finances involved in Jack Grealish’s deal, the whole soccer community expected to witness spectacular attacking displays from Grealish. The City fans, unfortunately, are still left wanting to see more from their big-money arrival. His lack of threat in front of goal has often left the City faithful frustrated and highly skeptical about the signing.
– Pogba got criticized for his hairstyles
– Rashford gets hate for even breathing
– Saka gets hate for “limping”100M Grealish after 3 league goals in 20 games is getting accolades for being a drunkard. https://t.co/KspXNRqR4O
— Santi™ (@ThePeakSanti) May 20, 2024
During his three seasons at the Etihad until now, Grealish has found the back of the net only 11 times in the Premier League. The former Aston Villa man has never scored more than five league goals for the Cityzens. Despite the plethora of collective success, Jack Grealish’s time at Manchester City cannot be considered anything other than underwhelming so far.
Gareth Southgate shows faith in Jack Grealish for the Euros
England manager, Gareth Southgate has always been a keen admirer of Jack Grealish’s talents. Ever since Grealish established himself as a regular professional soccer player, Southgate has trusted him consistently with national team duties. Playing mostly off-the-bench, Grealish was an integral part of England’s journey as runners-up during the 2020 UEFA Euros.
🚨🏴 OFFICIAL: England provisional squad for Euro 2024, confirmed — to be cut to 26 players in June.
⛔️ Rashford, Chilwell, Reece James, Henderson, Kalvin Phillips, Nick Pope, Raheem Sterling, Jadon Sancho, Levi Colwill OUT. pic.twitter.com/24NUzpvvBv
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 21, 2024
With the latest edition of the European Championship around the corner, Gareth Southgate has named his provisional squad for the tournament. Before the announcement, uncertainty loomed regarding the battle for the backup winger in England’s squad between Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish. Southgate has opted to go for the City man, once again putting his faith in him to do good for his country.