Jack Grealish is back training with Manchester City after his loan spell with Everton and there’s talk of him sticking around.
Earlier this month, it was claimed that the arrival of Enzo Maresca could give Jack Grealish a new lease of life at the Etihad Stadium.
Under Pep Guardiola, he didn’t really have a future, but the managerial change could now allow Grealish a way back in.
Should Jack Grealish or any of the other five returning loan players get a new lease of life at Man City in 26/27? 🤔
They have all been re-listed as City squad members on the club's official website…
That said, things are up in the air. A report from The Athletic today has suggested he could still be moved on for the right price. Everton are thought to want him back after his loan.
But could Grealish really have a part to play for City in 2026/27?
He very possibly could, but the development of Jeremy Doku over the past year will not make it easy.
Jack Grealish faces Jeremy Doku hurdle to get regular Man City minutes
Grealish almost exclusively plays from the left, which doesn’t particularly help him.
He actually can play centrally, which was the plan initially when City signed him from Aston Villa. But we have rarely seen him in that role, and City have options like Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki to play there.
So it’s really left wing or bust for Grealish – and since he went away to Everton, Jeremy Doku has come on leaps and bounds.
Last term, the Belgian livewire had his best campaign to date for City since his £55 million move (BBC Sport) from Rennes.
He registered 22 goal contributions in 47 appearances across all competitions, scoring eight and making 14 assists.
For context, in his whole time at City, Grealish has only provided 23 assists.
| Jeremy Doku for Man City | Jack Grealish for Man City |
| Appearances – 131 | Appearances – 157 |
| Goals – 22 | Goals – 17 |
| Assists – 34 | Assists – 23 |
| G/A rate – 0.43 per 90 | G/A rate – 0.26 per 90 |
Something really clicked with Doku last season, following previous accusations that his end product wasn’t good enough.
There would still be times when it could have been better. But for the most part, Doku was making much better decisions in the final third, and scoring some cracking goals. His stunning strike against Liverpool was particularly memorable, and he also hit a superb double against Everton.
When they were both at the club previously, there wasn’t a great deal to separate Doku and Grealish in terms of what they brought to the team.
They had a similar level of output in terms of goals and assists.
But Doku’s development over the past year or so has been very impressive to watch, and he is now undoubtedly one of the most fearsome wingers in the Premier League.
Grealish did also have a good half-season with Everton before his injury.
But the Belgian has gone to another level, and being only 24, there is still a lot of room for improvement and development, which is a scary thought.
So Grealish may well like the idea of a renaissance at City.
But the presence of Doku is really not going to help his cause in terms of starting games regularly.
