Sunderland make move for Jack Grealish as Man City consider loan exit for £100m star

According to The Athletic, Sunderland have registered their interest in Grealish, submitting an ambitious loan offer to Manchester City for the 30-year-old winger. The proposal from the Stadium of Light hierarchy includes a structure where City would continue to cover a significant portion of Grealish's substantial weekly salary. Furthermore, the deal reportedly contains a clause that would allow the North East club to make the move permanent next summer, coinciding with the expiration of his current contract at the Etihad Stadium.

The move represents a significant shift in Grealish's career trajectory as he seeks regular first-team football following a difficult period. The former Aston Villa captain spent the entirety of last season on loan at Everton, where he registered two goals and six assists in 22 appearances under David Moyes before a stress fracture in his foot in January prematurely ended his campaign. Everton held an option to sign the England international permanently for a fee in the region of £50m, but the Toffees ultimately decided against triggering the deal.

Regis Le Bris is keen to add elite-level experience to his squad as Sunderland prepare to compete in this season's Europa League. The pursuit of Grealish is part of a broader recruitment drive that also involves Marseille winger Igor Paixao. Personal terms with the 26-year-old Brazilian, who netted 12 goals in Ligue 1 last season, are not expected to be an issue, though a club-to-club agreement with Marseille is yet to be reached.

So far this summer, the Black Cats have been active in the market to ensure they have the depth required for continental football. The club has already secured deals for experienced full-back Thomas Meunier and youngster Dayann Methalie to bolster the defence, while midfielder Jules Ahoka has arrived to provide more options in the middle of the park.

Manchester City's willingness to listen to offers for their former record signing has been clear for some time. Reports in June suggested that the English giants were open to letting him leave either on a temporary or permanent basis. The England international originally arrived at the Etihad Stadium in a landmark £100m move from Aston Villa, subsequently making 159 appearances in all competitions for City.

The 30-year-old has been introduced from the bench in both of City's opening fixtures this season, featuring in the Community Shield defeat to Arsenal before making another second-half appearance in Sunday's 2-1 Premier League victory over Bournemouth.

It is a stark change in fortunes for a player who was a cornerstone of City's historic Treble-winning campaign in 2022-23. During that season, Grealish was a regular fixture on the left wing, making 50 appearances as the club swept aside all competition in the Champions League, Premier League, and FA Cup.

By the 2024-25 season, his role had diminished further to just seven league starts. The situation reached a low point when he was excluded from the matchday squad for the final game of the season against Fulham. At the time, Pep Guardiola insisted the decision was 'nothing personal,' but Grealish was subsequently omitted from the squad for the Club World Cup.