Manchester City recently bagged a 5-2 win against Juventus in their last group stage match of the Club World Cup on June 26 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.
Pep Guardiola added four major signings ahead of the competition, and while there are now new faces in the squad, uncertainties over the future of some existing players continue to prevail.
One such player is Jack Grealish, who has not been included in Man City's squad for the Club World Cup. The 29-year-old has drastically fallen behind in Guardiola's pecking order over the last two seasons, with the Catalan coach earlier hinting that the midfielder may not be on the receiving end of regular gametime in the upcoming one as well.
Amid this situation, Grealish has been linked with a move to some prominent clubs, among which Bayern Munich have stood out to be a top suitor for the Aston Villa graduate.
Now, after their recent victory over Juventus, Guardiola addressed questions about Grealish's future at the Etihad Stadium.
What did Man City boss Pep Guardiola say about Jack Grealish?
In the post-match press conference, Guardiola was asked by reporters if Grealish had the qualities to play for Bayern Munich. The 54-year-old candidly mentioned (comments via Manchester City News) that he has no doubts about the Englishman's abilities on the pitch.
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"I’ve said many times, the guys have been together for many years, always I wish him the best. I wish the best for Jack, his partner, his kids, his family. I don’t know what’s going to happen right now and I don’t have any doubts about the quality of Jack, so the quality has always been there. The year of the Treble we won, without him, it would not have been possible," he said.
"So, he’s a top, top, top player but the players have to compete with each other and last season Doku was incredible in many games and Savinho made the step up for his first season," added Guardiola.
Guardiola further spoke about Grealish's lack of minutes on the pitch and explained,
"So the only reason he didn’t play minutes was me, not because he was incorrect or whatever. In the end, every season they have to compete with each other and the players this season they have to do it."
Grealish arrived at Man City from Aston Villa in 2021, and his current contract at the Etihad is valid until the summer of 2027.
Manchester City news and related links
- Pep Guardiola thrilled as Man City return to 'who we were'
- Man City captain not on same terms with Pep Guardiola over summer transfer plans
- Pep Guardiola hits out at FIFA referees as Man City star lands extended Club World Cup ban