Jack Grealish holds talks with Pep Guardiola over Man City future | OneFootball

Jack Grealish has been assured that he remains an integral part of the picture at Manchester City after holding two rounds of talks with manager Pep Guardiola, 90min understands.

As such, City would likely reject any offer for Grealish should one materialise, having been linked with former club Aston Villa.

Grealish was burdened with intense external scrutiny following his club record £100m transfer from Villa in 2021 but made important contributions as City won back-to-back Premier League in his first two seasons and completed an historic treble in the latter – Grealish was a starter on the left flank throughout the triumphant Champions League knockout stages.

His third year was a different story, hit with an early season hamstring problem and dealt another spell out in February and March. Ultimately, Grealish started only ten Premier League games and missed out on Euro 2024 after being cut from England’s provisional squad.

Grealish was left out of England's Euro 2024 squad / Richard Sellers/Allstar/GettyImages

It was after being told he wouldn't be going to Germany with the Three Lions that Guardiola first spoke with Grealish to offer both encouragement and reassurance about his club career. The pair have since had a further conversation about it in the past week as the new season got underway.

Guardiola has reiterated to Grealish that he’s important to the dynasty being built at City. The 28-year-old is a particular asset in terms of his positive personality and role as a figure within the dressing room, on top of what he's proven he can bring on the pitch.

For Grealish, not going to Euro 2024 and having that unexpected time off during the summer has given him the opportunity to focus on City. As a result, his pre-season was a strong one, although an injury that ruled him out of the Community Shield earlier this month slowed his momentum and the player now needs to build up his match fitness. That being said, he was on the bench as an unused substitute as City beat Chelsea in their Premier League opener on Sunday afternoon.