Jack Grealish’s future at Manchester City looks increasingly uncertain after the England international was left out of the squad for the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.
Despite having the option to name 35 players, City submitted a trimmed 27-man squad for the tournament starting June 14 — and Grealish was among the high-profile absentees. Former captain Kyle Walker was also omitted.
City’s four new signings this week — Rayan Ait-Nouri, Rayan Cherki, Tijani Reijnders and Marcus Bettinelli — were all included in the squad. Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, who recently returned from a long-term knee injury, also made the cut.
Grealish, still the club’s record signing after his £100 million ($135 million) transfer from Aston Villa in 2021, has struggled for regular playing time. The 29-year-old managed just seven Premier League starts in the 2024/25 season and did not feature in last month’s FA Cup final, where City lost 1-0 to Crystal Palace.
With two years left on his contract and a reported weekly wage of £300,000 ($405,000), Grealish’s departure could prove complicated. His lack of minutes, paired with his exclusion from the Club World Cup squad, adds to growing speculation over a summer exit.
Manager Pep Guardiola had previously warned that he may consider leaving if the club did not trim its squad ahead of the new season. Grealish and Walker are both among the players expected to depart.
Walker, 35, returned to Manchester this summer after spending the latter half of last season on loan at AC Milan. The Italian club declined the option to make the move permanent.
Manchester City will kick off their Club World Cup campaign against Moroccan side Wydad Casablanca in Philadelphia next Wednesday, before further group stage clashes with Al Ain of Abu Dhabi and Juventus.
