Chris Waddle sends brutal warning to Man City’s £100million flop Jack Grealish

Premier League icon Chris Waddle has sent a brutal warning to Jack Grealish that he should quit Manchester City this summer or risk losing his footballing career

Jack Grealish has been told to quit Manchester City this summer – in a bid to rescue his flagging career.

Grealish became the most expensive star in British football when he joined City from Aston Villa in a £100m deal in 2021. He went on help Pep Guardiola’s side win a historic Treble in just his second season at the Etihad.

But the attacking midfielder has endured a miserable time since then, following injuries and a loss of form. Grealish, 29, has been so bad he didn’t score a single goal in 2024.

He was left out of the England squad for last summer’s Euros, which saw the Three Lions reach back-to-back finals. And he has now lost his place in Guardiola’s side, with the Spaniard warning him he has to do much better in a bid to turn things around.

But former England winger Chris Waddle believes the time has come for Grealish to accept his time at City is over – and focus on resurrecting his career elsewhere.

Waddle said: “I do think that it’s time for Jack to have a serious think about his future. That’s the stage he’s at now, which is unfortunate. At Villa, he had a lot more freedom to show what he could do.

“When he went to City, he basically played as an out-and-out left winger, and he’s not a left winger. If I was Jack, I’d be thinking ‘I want to go play somewhere, I don’t want to play on the left, I want to play as a No.10, or as part of a midfield three’.

“He’s got to be looking at a club who wants to take him as a midfielder, rather than a winger. He definitely needs to start again and go off, because he’s not going to get any joy in his football at City.

“If he can’t get in the City team, that means he’s not really going to get picked for England. He needs to start playing regular football to get his confidence back, and to give him a chance of getting back in the England squad.

“When you’re looking at your career, if you’re not playing a lot, you need to move on. You don’t want to be sitting in the stands. He’s had his time at City, it hasn’t really changed for him, so I think he’s better off thinking ‘I need a new challenge and I want to play as a midfield player’.”

Grealish has started just six league games this season – and Waddle reckons the star has piled on some weight. He added: “I remember watching him at Villa, and he had a lot more to his game.

“He was criticised for not being in good shape by his manager – that’s never a good sign. I have to say, he looks a little heavier. That happens when players are frustrated.”

Waddle was speaking to Prime Casino.