Jack Grealish, Manchester City £100m signing, is reportedly seeking a move after losing Pep Guardiola confidence, starting just six Premier League games this season. Barcelona rejected City offer for Grealish, citing poor outcomes with former Premier League signings. Grealish struggles intensified with Omar Marmoush arrival, while Bayer Leverkusen targets City James McAtee to address their forward injury crisis.
For the January transfer window, Manchester City reportedly offered Jack Grealish to Barcelona as the England international seeks an exit. Grealish, signed for a club-record £100 million from Aston Villa in 2021, has struggled to secure playing time this season, starting just six Premier League matches. The recent arrival of Omar Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt has further diminished his chances, with Phil Foden, Savinho, Bernardo Silva, and Jeremy Doku preferred in forward roles alongside Erling Haaland.
Barcelona rejected the proposal, citing their poor history with players acquired from Manchester City. Notable examples include Sergio Aguero, who retired shortly after joining, and Ferran Torres, whose £50 million transfer has been labelled underwhelming. Ilkay Gundogan remains the sole City player to perform convincingly for Barcelona, although his tenure lasted only one season. Reports suggest that sporting director Deco is preparing to offload Torres in the summer, further reflecting caution toward City transfers.
Meanwhile, Grealish’s diminished role has been attributed to a lack of confidence from Pep Guardiola, who has described the player’s performances as subpar. Guardiola hinted that the situation might change if academy graduate James McAtee, targeted by Bayer Leverkusen for a loan move with an option to buy, departs before the window closes.
