Pep Guardiola has said a decision will be made on Jack Grealish’s Manchester City future at the end of the season. The England international, signed for £100m four years ago, has fallen down the pecking order at the Etihad Stadium since his starring role in the 2023 treble-winning campaign.
The 29-year-old has made just seven Premier League starts this term and was not summoned from the bench during Saturday’s FA Cup final defeat by Crystal Palace. That has fuelled speculation he could move on this summer, but Guardiola insists nothing has yet been determined and discussions will take place between outgoing director of football Txiki Begiristain, his successor Hugo Viana and the player’s representatives.
Guardiola said: “We didn’t talk, I didn’t talk with him. People don’t believe me, but these things belong to the agents and the club and Txiki, and in this case Hugo as well. Both will decide. What is going to happen will happen, but he has to come back to start to play minutes again.”
Guardiola accepts Grealish, who has two years remaining on his contract, will not be happy about his lack of action. He said: “It’s not [only] Jack. There is not one player in my locker room, and I think all the locker rooms around the world, that is happy [when they] do not play. When the team is winning and winning they have to figure out how everything happens – but they are not happy. They are here to play and, when they don’t play, they are not satisfied. That is the normal position in all the clubs.”
Meanwhile, Guardiola has offered no guarantee that Kevin De Bruyne will start his final home game for City. De Bruyne, who is leaving when his contract expires this summer, is set to play at the Etihad for one last time in a City shirt against Bournemouth on Tuesday. Yet with the club still to secure Champions League qualification, Guardiola will not be guided by sentiment in his selection, even though De Bruyne will receive a send-off after the game. The manager said: “What Kevin wants is that we win the game to qualify for the Champions League next season. That is what Kevin wants. It cannot be otherwise. I’m going to decide the best so that we can have the best chance to win the game against Bournemouth.”
De Bruyne is to be given a guard of honour by teammates at full time before he gives a speech on the pitch. He will then be presented with gifts by the wife and son of the late City legend Colin Bell.
Victory in what is a game in hand would lift City to third heading into their final league game at Fulham on Sunday. Defeat would leave them sixth and mean one point would separate the teams from third to seventh in the battle for top-five places. City have played in the Champions League every season since they qualified for the 2011-12 campaign.
“Of course it’s important,” Guardiola said. “We have been in for the last 14 or 15 years and it is where we want to be, but if we are not there it is because we don’t deserve it, and we will play the Europa League. But I’m thinking we’re going to qualify. I control my mind and I think that. The first step is to finish in third position in the Premier League and that is the main target.”
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Guardiola needs to lift his side from the disappointment of their defeat by Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final on Saturday.
He said he had not watched Saturday’s game back. “Maybe tonight I will review certain images,” he said, “but last night and this morning I was focused on Bournemouth.”
Guardiola insists he has not designated a penalty taker despite Omar Marmoush missing from the spot at Wembley after Erling Haaland surprisingly passed up the opportunity. He said: “I didn’t talk with them. We train this afternoon. It’s so clear: the taker has to score a goal.”
