Jack Grealish Told to Leave Manchester City After FA Cup Final Snub
According to a report by the Daily Mail, former Newcastle United striker Alan Shearer has advised Jack Grealish to leave Manchester City after being snubbed by Pep Guardiola for the FA Cup final. Grealish, who joined City for £100million from Aston Villa in 2021, has struggled to replicate the form he showed at Villa and has largely underwhelmed at the Etihad.
The 29-year-old winger has found himself further down the pecking order this season, starting just seven Premier League games and only once in 2025. The majority of his appearances have come in cup competitions when Guardiola has rotated his squad, and Grealish failed to make it off the bench in City’s FA Cup final defeat by Crystal Palace, despite his side needing a goal.
Shearer, speaking on the latest Rest is Football Podcast, felt that Saturday’s showpiece event was the final straw for Grealish’s career at City. "Did it surprise me yesterday (that City lost)? No, because that’s what they’ve been like all season. They didn’t deserve to win it, they didn’t do enough to win it," Shearer said. "You mentioned Jack Grealish. His time is up at Man City, he has to leave. For him (Guardiola) to bring a debutant on, a young boy (Claudio Echeverri) and Gundogan on when they’re desperate for a goal rather than Jack Grealish… his time is up, he’s done at Man City, he has to leave."
The Daily Mail reports that Echeverri, who replaced Omar Marmoush in the 76th minute, had not even made the bench since linking up with City in January until Saturday’s game, while Gundogan and Phil Foden were also introduced ahead of Grealish. Micah Richards, a former City player, also weighed in on the debate and expressed his sadness at how Grealish’s City career has unfolded.
"You know what is sad though, the fact that players make a move and sometimes it doesn’t work out for any reason," Richards added. "But I feel as though Jack’s played within himself. If he’d gone there and been losing the ball because he’d tried to take people on, making the wrong pass or whatever… but I don’t feel like we’ve seen the real Jack Grealish."
Grealish has scored just four Premier League goals and added two assists since the start of last season. Given his lack of form – which has also seen him miss out on the past two England squads – Guardiola has regularly criticised the 29-year-old in the media in an attempt to get him back to his best. In fact, speaking in January after a 4-1 win over West Ham, the Spaniard expressed his disappointment in Grealish and admitted he wishes the winger was still playing like he did in the Treble season of 2022-23.
"As much as (Grealish) looks at himself, he will see the competition," Guardiola said. "He has to compete with himself. Savinho is in better shape and everything than Jack and that’s why I played Savinho. I want the Jack that won the Treble. But I try to be honest with myself for that. What happened with Savinho’s delivery in the box? It’s higher than the other wingers in that position. And they have to fight. You can say ‘OK, it’s unfair’. If you think that, then it’s fine. But you have to prove, ‘I’m going to fight with Savinho, to deserve to play in that position’. And every single day, and every single week and every single month."
The Daily Mail quotes Shearer as saying that Guardiola is "done with him" and that Grealish must move to a new club. This sentiment is echoed by many fans and pundits who feel that Grealish’s time at City has come to an end. As the transfer window approaches, it remains to be seen where Grealish will be playing his football next season.
In related news, Gary Lineker pressed Richards on whether he felt Grealish had played too safe at City, to which the former City player replied: "Yeah." This sentiment is shared by many who feel that Grealish has not lived up to his £100million price tag and that a move away from City may be the best option for all parties involved.
Original source: Daily Mail.
