Txiki Begiristain described Jack Grealish as “one of the most exciting attacking players in world football” when unveiling Manchester City’s record-breaking £100 million ($125m) signing in August 2021.
“I am certain that the fans are going to love seeing him in our team, he’s an incredible talent,” City’s director of football added. “Pep [Guardiola] loves the way he plays, and we all feel he is an ideal fit for Manchester City. Our style and his style are a perfect match.”
Grealish was certainly an “exciting” player to watch at Aston Villa. He registered 16 goal contributions in 26 Premier League appearances in his final season at Villa Park, wreaking havoc from the left flank with his unpredictable dribbling and penchant for defence-splitting passes. There were very few teams that could stop Grealish in full flow.
Unfortunately, we have yet to see that version of him at Etihad Stadium. Despite Begiristain’s initial billing, Guardiola never really wanted Grealish to be the maverick he was at Villa. He was instead asked to rein in his creative instincts to become just another cog in the City winning machine.
As a consequence, the player that used to get fans off their seats whenever he received the ball is gone, replaced by one who always takes the easy option, seemingly scared of making a mistake. And now, three-and-a-half years on from his arrival in Manchester, Grealish finds himself at a career crossroads. Guardiola no longer appears to have any use for the 29-year-old, who must push for a transfer to save his career as an England international.