No role in season finale: Guardiola pushes Grealish towards the exit

Jack Grealish will not feature for Manchester City on Sunday in the decisive final round of the Premier League season.

The England international has been left out of the matchday squad by Pep Guardiola for the crucial away clash against Fulham at Craven Cottage, where City must secure their place in next season’s Champions League. With European qualification on the line and tensions running high, the omission of a player once seen as central to City’s attacking future has only fueled mounting speculation that Grealish is on the verge of a summer exit.

The timing of Guardiola’s decision has raised eyebrows throughout the football world. Grealish, who became the most expensive British player in history when he signed for Manchester City from Aston Villa in 2021 for €117.5 million, has seen his role diminish significantly this season. Despite his status and price tag, the 29-year-old has started just one Premier League match since the start of 2024, and his absence from the squad in Sunday’s do-or-die fixture suggests that he no longer features in the manager’s plans not even as a squad option.

The situation was foreshadowed by events in the recent FA Cup final against Crystal Palace, where City found themselves trailing 1–0 and struggling to create chances. Many expected Grealish, known for his ability to unlock defenses and draw fouls in dangerous areas, to come off the bench and make an impact. Instead, he remained on the sidelines for the full 90 minutes, visibly frustrated as his team lost the chance to lift another domestic trophy. That moment, for many, felt like a tipping point in what has been a season full of setbacks for the winger.

Multiple British media outlets, including The Telegraph, have reported that internal discussions about Grealish’s future are set to begin immediately after the final league match. Guardiola, speaking candidly after the FA Cup loss, stated that he had not spoken to Grealish directly about his role or future at the club. Instead, he pointed to the club's decision-makers sporting director Txiki Begiristain and football director Hugo Viana as the ones responsible for handling the situation. That delegation of responsibility has been interpreted by some as a clear sign that Guardiola has moved on from the player.

Behind the scenes, sources close to the club suggest that Grealish is aware of the writing on the wall. A player once celebrated for his flair, creativity, and charisma now finds himself on the fringes, overtaken in the pecking order by younger or more tactically disciplined options. With Euro 2024 approaching, Grealish will be desperate for regular playing time, and a transfer this summer now looks not only possible but inevitable. Several Premier League clubs including Newcastle and Spurs have reportedly expressed interest, and a return to Aston Villa has not been ruled out either.

Meanwhile, Manchester City’s match against Fulham on Sunday is far more than a formality. Although they currently sit third in the Premier League table, the race for the Champions League remains wide open. Under the new UEFA format, even fifth place will grant access to the group stage, but with teams like Nottingham Forest and Chelsea still within reach, there is no room for error. Those two sides face each other on the final day, adding further unpredictability to the equation. With every match kicking off simultaneously at 17:00 UK time, the stakes will be sky-high across the country.

For Guardiola, the trip to Craven Cottage represents a critical juncture not just for the season, but for the club's future direction. A failure to qualify for the Champions League would be seen as a major blow, potentially prompting further shake-ups within the squad. Key veterans could be moved on, younger players promoted, and priorities reshuffled. In that sense, Grealish's exclusion from such a pivotal game might be viewed as the first of several big decisions awaiting City in the coming months.

And for Jack Grealish himself, Sunday’s absence may serve as a quiet, symbolic farewell not with a tribute or a send-off, but by omission. After three mixed seasons filled with moments of brilliance, frustrating injuries, and spells of inconsistent form, his time at the Etihad appears to be drawing to a close, not with fireworks, but with silence. A player once seen as a marquee signing now stands on the verge of a new chapter elsewhere, his place in Guardiola’s plans all but erased.

Whatever the outcome of Sunday’s fixture, Manchester City will face a summer of introspection and transition and for Jack Grealish, it seems that the next time he steps onto a Premier League pitch, it will be in a different shirt. The only question now is which club will offer him the chance to rediscover the form that once made him one of the most exciting players in English football.