'He has a big heart' - Jack Grealish given hope of fresh Man City start as Enzo Maresca issues update on £100m man's future

Grealish struggled for minutes in the 2024-25 campaign prior to his loan move, featuring in just 20 Premier League matches for City, accumulating 715 minutes, scoring one goal and providing one assist. He joined Everton in August 2025, finding rhythm with two goals and six assists across 1,632 minutes before suffering a foot injury.

Maresca, taking over a squad that have missed out on the league title for two seasons, admitted coming up with an evaluation of Grealish's future is challenging as the playmaker continues his recovery. He stated: "When you don’t work day by day with the players, it’s difficult to judge. I don’t know what he has done. It’s complicated."

Despite Everton declining their £50 million option to buy Grealish permanently, Maresca has not closed the door on the winger, who originally joined City from Aston Villa for £100m in 2021.

Across his City career, Grealish has made 157 appearances and scored 17 goals, helping secure three Premier League titles, one FA Cup, one Club World Cup, and one Champions League crown.

Maresca, who previously worked with Grealish while serving as Pep Guardiola's assistant at City, highlighted their connection. He added: "In any club I join, it’s my duty to coach the players at the club and Jack is here at the moment. I have a good relationship with him and since I left we’ve been keeping in touch. He has a big heart and is a very good guy but we’ll see what happens."

While his long-term prospects remain a topic of debate, the priority is returning to full fitness. Grealish is striving to overcome the persistent foot issue that derailed his progress on Merseyside.

City currently have a wealth of attacking options, meaning Grealish will need to prove his physical readiness before fighting for a spot in a team determined to reclaim domestic glory.

He recently shared a positive update regarding his rehabilitation process on social media, expressing his eagerness to reunite with his team-mates after missing the final months of the season. Grealish posted: "Nice to see everyone. I’m nearly there — hopefully not long now til I’m back training."

Grealish will continue his individual fitness programme at the City Football Academy this week. Once cleared by the medical staff, he will look to impress Maresca on the training pitch. With City eager to start a new winning era and bounce back from recent title disappointments, the winger must fight to resurrect his career at the Etihad and add to his impressive collection of medals.