Jack Grealish found himself firmly out of favour at the end of the season, and now faces a fight for his Manchester City starting spot.
When Pep Guardiola wanted an attacking option to take the final day to West Ham, he overlooked Grealish and turned to the in-form Jeremy Doku on the wing. Doku had won a crucial penalty at Tottenham a few days earlier, provided an assist against the Hammers to seal the title and followed it up with an FA Cup final goal at Wembley.
Doku will be a dangerous option next season, while Grealish must fight for his place on the wing after falling to third choice on the left amid reports of a clash with Guardiola.
ALSO READ: Richard Masters and Javier Tebas could stop Man City playing in Club World Cup
ALSO READ: Kompany linked with Man City raid for first Bayern Munich transfer after Guardiola blessing
In the final part of a three-part squad review, we take a look at where each winger and forward stands after 2023/24 and what they must do next season. Read the first part looking at the goalkeepers and defenders and the second part focussing on the midfield.
Who could leave?
If we are classing Bernardo Silva as a winger – that is where he played the majority of his football over the last two run-ins – then he is a prime candidate to leave despite signing a contract extension until 2026 last summer. He has a reported £50m release clause in that contract, and a long-standing desire to leave City for somewhere warmer and closer to home. Whether anyone will pay the asking price for him, however, remains to be seen – reports have suggested PSG have ruled themselves out already.
It has been claimed Grealish could leave, but his asking price could prove prohibitive for any buyers. The only other option may be Oscar Bobb given his age, but he signed a new contract this season until 2029 and is highly-rated at City, so staying at City may be better than any loan move.
Who is definitely staying?
Phil Foden may have eyes on the No.10 position but played most games on the wing this season and he won’t leave. Erling Haaland’s future is always a topic of discussion, but he is happy at City and has a long-term contract. Plus, Real Madrid are focussing on Kylian Mbappe this summer.
Julian Alvarez would be a candidate to leave to play regularly, but he played more games than Haaland this season and has four years left on his contract. Doku’s fine debut season shows he is in the right place to progress next term.
What about Grealish?
Grealish also looks set to stay, but did not enjoy a great season due to a mixture of fitness, form and injury. He struggled for a run of games to play his way back into form, with the likes of Foden and Doku making it harder for him to lock down his left-wing spot.
Reports this week suggest Grealish was left out of the win at Fulham this month as Guardiola was unhappy with his training performances, rather than the official line of ‘sickness’. The pair held talks before the end of the season to challenge Grealish to return with a better attitude next season.
He started just one of the final seven games of the season, playing just 93 minutes over three games and not playing a minute of the final four. The Euros will be critical for Grealish, and he would benefit from some minutes in pre-season for City if possible.
An exit looks extremely unlikely, but Grealish does have work to do to cement a long-term future at City.
Who could City sign?
A deal for Troyes winger Savio is in the works and reportedly agreed, although the Brazilian admitted this week he would like to remain at Girona next season on loan. “I still don’t know where I’ll be next season, my agents are still talking and we should decide in the next few weeks,” he said.
“Now the season has ended, and I will sit down with Girona and my representative to find out if I will be able to play for the team during the next Champions League season.”
Aside from that, a replacement for Bernardo could be signed if he were to leave, but the transfer priorities could be move heard towards the midfield and full-back areas.
What does the attack look like in 2024/25?
Haaland will lead the line again, fresh after a summer off that could be beneficial for himself and for City. He is two games away from 100 for City, having scored 90 goals and added 15 assists in that time. His second season was brilliant, but overshadowed by his electric first. If there was one area for improvement, it would be his record in big games. He has no goals from four Wembley appearances, plus blanks in another Community Shield, the Super Cup and the Champions League final.
Alvarez will want to maintain his minutes from last season, but he found himself back behind Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne when they were both back fit. His challenge will be to persuade Guardiola that he is worthy of starting ahead of them more often.
ALSO READ: Missing Man City player from title parade could have confirmed his transfer plans
ALSO READ: Why Man City still can’t get enough of their lowest point in 1999
Doku can build on a strong end to the season to really kick on next season, with Grealish challenging him on the left. Foden may have to stay on the wing and drift inside as long as De Bruyne remains at the club, increasing competition at on the flanks. Similarly, anyone with eyes on the right-wing spot will have to show they offer more than Bernardo does – although next season’s tactics in attack will also depend on how Guardiola intends to use his full-backs.
If Savio signs, and then remains at the club, he will increase the options on the flanks, which could be useful ahead of a season with even more games and a Club World Cup at the end of it. Similarly, Bobb could be given more opportunities to help ease the load on other teammates.
Who is out of contract?
The forward positions are well protected in terms of contracts, with Bernardo’s deal the first to expire in 2026. Grealish, Foden and Haaland are tied down until 2027, with Doku and Alvarez contracted until 2028. Bobb is the only player at present to have a deal running to 2029.
EMEA Tribune is not involved in this news article, it is taken from our partners and or from the News Agencies. Copyright and Credit go to the News Agencies, email news@emeatribune.com Follow our WhatsApp verified Channel
