City tour snub deepens uncertainty over Jack Grealish’s Manchester City future

Jack Grealish has been left out of Manchester City’s pre-season trip to Asia, casting fresh doubt over the midfielder’s future at the club as he enters the final year of his contract under new head coach Enzo Maresca.

City returned for pre-season training last week and Grealish reported back with the squad, but he was omitted from the 28-man party that has travelled to Hong Kong and Seoul for an 11-day tour featuring three friendlies.

Club sources say the England midfielder is still recovering from a foot injury sustained in January, which curtailed his loan spell at Everton just as he had begun to rediscover form. The same injury also denied him any chance of pushing for a place in England’s squad for the World Cup.

Grealish, who will turn 31 in September, is back at the club after falling out of favour under former manager Pep Guardiola and now finds himself in the final 12 months of his deal. There has been no indication so far that City are preparing to offer an extension to his contract, which is understood to be worth around £300,000 a week.

Maresca keeping options open

Maresca, appointed this summer to replace Guardiola, has publicly refused to close the door on Grealish’s prospects of staying at the Etihad Stadium.

“In the moment he is here, and he is still a Manchester City player. My duty is to try to coach all the players who are in the club,” the Italian said last week.

He added: “I have a good relationship with Jack since I left, and we are still in touch, because he has a big heart and he is a great guy, and then we will see what is going to happen.”

However, Maresca’s assessment comes against the backdrop of renewed scrutiny of Grealish’s off-field image. Photographs have circulated in recent months showing him drinking on two separate occasions over the past three months, something that could influence how potential suitors view him.

Grealish was central to Manchester City’s treble celebrations in 2023, attracting significant media attention during the extended title and cup festivities. At the time he rejected being labelled a “party boy”, insisting he had simply been “enjoying himself”, but the recurrence of such scenes may complicate efforts to secure a move if City decide to sell.

The midfielder has not played a competitive match since the turn of the year as he continues his rehabilitation.

Phillips also left out as City listen to offers

Grealish is not the only high-profile midfielder on the fringes of Maresca’s plans. Kalvin Phillips has also returned to Manchester City following an unsuccessful loan at Sheffield United in the Championship and has likewise been omitted from the Asia tour squad.

Although Phillips is still only 30, his career trajectory has dipped sharply since he joined City from Leeds United in 2022. Over the past two seasons he has managed just seven minutes of action in the EFL Cup and has struggled to force his way into the side.

Current indications are that Phillips does not feature prominently in Maresca’s thinking, with City open to listening to offers for him during the present transfer window.

New era begins in Asia

City’s touring squad of 28 players will play three friendlies as Maresca begins to shape his first-team plans. The group includes Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, Phil Foden, Josko Gvardiol and Antoine Semenyo, along with several members of the club’s development set-up as the new head coach assesses his options.

Erling Haaland, new signing Elliot Anderson, Rayan Cherki and Nico O’Reilly have all been granted additional rest after their involvement in the World Cup and have not travelled.

Maresca’s reign will begin on the pitch with a high-profile meeting against Serie A champions Inter Milan on Saturday, followed by a fixture against a K League All-Stars side and then a match against Atletico Madrid in Seoul next week.

Against that backdrop, the absence of Grealish and Phillips from City’s preparations is likely to intensify speculation over whether either midfielder has a long-term future with the former Premier League champions.