Jack Grealish Future Depends on Him, Guardiola Says

Jack Grealish's future at Manchester City depends absolutely on him, Pep Guardiola said as the 30-year-old prepares to return from his Everton loan spell. Grealish went to Hill Dickinson Stadium last August for regular football, but a stress fracture in his foot cut that season short.

"I don’t know. I want the best for Jack." Guardiola said ahead of City’s meeting with Everton on Monday night. He added, "It depends absolutely on him."

Grealish at Hill Dickinson Stadium

In his first 20 Premier League appearances for Everton, Grealish produced two goals and six assists. Guardiola said, "I know the impact [at Everton] was really good, playing the minutes that he had in the treble season."

The City manager also pointed back to 2023, when Grealish was a key player in Manchester City's treble-winning campaign. "The Treble season [he] was extraordinary and after that maybe I didn’t help him or maybe we couldn’t reach the level that he had," Guardiola said.

Manchester City summer openings

For now, Grealish is recovering and regaining full fitness ahead of pre-season. Guardiola said, "And he needs [to play] game, game, game and Everton [he] had [that]."

He added, "Unfortunately the injury, but hopefully he can recover and next season can continue to play." Guardiola also said, "The quality is no doubt, everything is there."

City could have room for change this summer, with Bernardo Silva and John Stones set to depart. That leaves Grealish's next spell with the club tied to his own fitness, minutes, and the level he can reach once pre-season begins.