Pep Guardiola has been forced to speak openly with Jack Grealish following a worrying dip in form at Manchester City that could threaten his place in the England squad for Euro 2024.
Grealish contributed only three goals and three assists across 36 appearances in all competitions for City this season. He found himself usurped by Jeremy Doku on City’s left wing and started just one of the club’s final seven games of the season.
The 28-year-old was still named in Gareth Southgate’s 33-man provisional squad ahead of this summer’s tournament in Germany, but knows he faces a fight to make the final 26-man squad. The likes of Anthony Gordon, Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and James Maddison are gunning for the attacking places in the squad and had much better campaigns.
The Daily Mail reports that Guardiola held ‘frank talks’ with Grealish before the FA Cup final on Saturday against Manchester United. It came after the winger was dropped from the squad which travelled to play Fulham on May 11, having fallen short of the standards expected in training.
The City boss stressed the need for Grealish to rediscover his best form following a poor 2024/25 campaign. Doku scored after coming off the bench in the FA Cup final, having been chosen as a substitute ahead of Grealish, but Guardiola spoke publicly in support of the Englishman.
“He will be back,” he said. “He’s struggled this season and Jeremy has made an incredible step forward as everyone has seen in the last games. But Jack will be back at the level of last season, I’m pretty sure.”
Speaking after the victory at Crystal Palace in April, Grealish said of his boss: “The manager has been so good with me. I owe him a little bit and want to repay him now with my performances and the team as well.”
Jack Grealish has struggled for form this season (
PA)
Speaking in March, Southgate warned Grealish and Marcus Rashford about their places in the squad. Rashford missed out on the 33-man squad, but the warning remains for Grealish. “What happens while players are with their clubs is club matters because they know the full story,” Southgate said. “They know exactly what’s going on. We observe everything. I don’t say behaviours off the field are irrelevant because clearly they’re not.
“But the key thing is we are mainly focusing on the performances on the field. He’s got big competition. So has Jack. These guys are playing well – Gordon, [Jarrod] Bowen, they’re scoring regularly, they perform well, defend well, work hard, they compete and we’ve got really good options in that area of the pitch. I can’t guarantee anybody [a place in the squad]. We have to have an environment where we know in certain positions who our best players might be.”
