Jack Grealish brutally told boyhood club Aston Villa 'won't go anywhere near him' amid Man City struggles - with England star tipped for surprise London move if he leaves the Etihad

The England international playmaker became the most expensive player in the history of British football when moving to the Etihad Stadium for £100 million ($124m) in the summer of 2021. He has won Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup titles with City.

Grealish has, however, faced questions of his output throughout a trophy-laden spell in Manchester, with only two goals being registered this season. He stands accused of no longer drifting past players as he once did, with a starting berth proving difficult to nail down under Pep Guardiola.

Grealish is now 29 years of age and has seen a move elsewhere speculated on. Quizzed by GOAL on whether he could return to his roots in the West Midlands, ex-Villa striker Stan Collymore – speaking in association with William Hill Vegas – said: “No. I sincerely hope not. I think Jack’s output is nowhere near the required level.

“If you look at the two players that have been brought in, [Marco] Asensio and [Marcus] Rashford, they can play either side of Ollie Watkins. There is a question mark over both – can they do it, will they do it? They have got pedigree.

“Jack, really, going to Manchester City and being a part of the treble-winning team – even then he wasn’t the main man, that was Kevin De Bruyne. He was good but not great. Last season, a stat of scoring one goal in just over a year… I don’t think he goes past people any more. [Jeremy] Doku when he first came into the team did that, [Omar] Marmoush you imagine will do that.”

Collymore added on what the future could hold for Grealish: “Jack might end up going somewhere like Saudi because I’m struggling to see a top four, five or six team that would take him. The traditional top four or five, wages and fee would be a problem.

“If you are an aspiring club, Newcastle could go and buy anybody that’s young and hungry and fresh, likewise Villa. If you are one of the clubs like Bournemouth and Brighton, you probably couldn’t afford him. You could probably see him at a club like West Ham, bizarrely, because they have got the money and London as clout.

“I’m absolutely sure that Unai Emery won’t be going anywhere near Jack Grealish. Great emotional story, but I don’t think it’s going to happen.”

Grealish remains tied to a contract at City that is due to run until the summer of 2027. He will, however, want to find regular starts heading towards the 2026 World Cup – as he looks to add to a haul of 39 England caps – and may decide that a fresh start and new challenge is the best way to achieve that.