Manchester Metropolis’s spending spree is simply simply getting began.
On Monday, the Sky Blues unveiled Rayan Aït-Nouri as their first summer time signing, arriving for a reported £31m from Wolverhampton Wanderers, with the Algerian worldwide left-back eligible to debut within the Residents’ Membership World Cup opener towards Wydad Casablanca in Philadelphia subsequent Wednesday.
Meantime, widespread stories counsel that Tijjani Reijnders will arrive from AC Milan for £46.3m, with extra signings on the way in which too, so may a high-profile Man Metropolis stalwart be on his method out, probably to a Premier League rival, to make method for these new recruits?
What Rayan Cherki will convey to Manchester Metropolis
David Ornstein of The Athletic reported final week that Manchester Metropolis had ‘reached an settlement’ with Olympique Lyonnais over the signing of Rayan Cherki, agreeing to pay round £34m.
Rob Dawson and Julien Laurens of ESPN claimed that Man Metropolis had been hoping to finalise the deal in time for Cherki to function through the Membership World Cup group phases, with that transfer having now been confirmed by the membership forward of the deadline.
When it comes to what Metropolis’s newest arrival will convey to the Etihad, Stuart James and Tom Williams of the Athletic imagine that the 21-year-old possesses a mesmeric ‘capability to enthral’, labelling him ‘precociously gifted’ and citing former Lyon supervisor Fabio Grosso, who asserted that “god has given him unbelievable qualities”.
These traits had been notably on present throughout Lyon’s gripping Europa League quarter-final tie with Manchester United earlier this yr, with the teenager scoring a last-gasp equaliser within the first leg, previous to additionally netting a surprising, pushed effort from vary within the reverse fixture at Previous Trafford.
Described as a “future Ballon d’Or winner” by The Athletic’s Alex Barker, the fleet-footed genius seems destined to be a star underneath Guardiola’s watch over the approaching years.
And so, with such a high-quality midfield expertise on his technique to the Etihad, may a present Man Metropolis star be pressured out?
The Man Metropolis star destined to depart
As famous by Mark Critchley and Ben Burrows of The Athletic, Jack Grealish has been disregarded of Manchester Metropolis’s squad for this summer time’s Membership World Cup, thereby not set to journey to the US, suggesting he’s extremely prone to depart the membership this summer time.
Again in December, Richard Jolly of the Unbiased outlined how, throughout his 4 years on the membership, Grealish had gone from ‘one of the crucial thrilling attacking gamers in world soccer’ to now a participant ‘who’s neither thrilling nor attacking’.
The desk under highlights the England worldwide’s lower in significance.
Jack Grealish’s season-by-season Manchester Metropolis profession | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Statistics | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
Appearances | 39 | 50 | 36 | 32 |
Begins | 31 | 41 | 26 | 16 |
Matches an unused sub | 11 | 5 | 12 | 15 |
Minutes | 2,730 | 3,487 | 2,114 | 1,521 |
Objectives | 6 | 5 | 3 | 3 |
Assists | 4 | 11 | 3 | 5 |
England caps | 11 | 9 | 4 | 3 |
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt | ||||
Because the desk notes, Grealish was an integral participant for Man Metropolis throughout his first two seasons, however the final two he has been nothing greater than a peripheral determine.
David O’Brien believes he was “distinctive” throughout his early years at Man Metropolis, however Alex Brotherton of BBC Sport notes that now ‘is the suitable time to maneuver on’ as he seeks to save lots of his profession.
The very fact he was an unused substitute within the FA Cup Last, a match they misplaced 1-0 to Manchester Metropolis, is extensively thought of to be the ultimate nail within the coffin – as too is the arrival of one other playmaker in Cherki.
As an illustration, Cherki racked up 32 objectives and assists in all competitions in 2024/25 at Lyon, together with 19 objectives and assists in league motion. Grealish – as famous within the desk – was solely in a position to file eight objectives and assists, solely two of which got here within the Premier League. A transfer away now seems an inevitability.
Certainly, stories in Spain counsel that Newcastle United ‘have set their sights’ on signing him, seeking to lodge a bid that might comprise an preliminary mortgage cope with an obligation to purchase of round £67m.
Ben Jacobs of Speak Sport additionally claims that each Tottenham and Everton ‘maintain a real’ curiosity in signing Grealish too, with Gillian Kasirye of Whole Soccer Evaluation documenting how his ‘distinctive ball-carrying potential’ would make him good for Spurs.
Thus, Grealish’s Man Metropolis exit is prone to be one of many tales of the summer time however, no matter the place he finally ends up, he has absolutely performed his final recreation in sky blue, with Cherki a readymade, thrilling substitute.
Associated
Man Metropolis now lining up shock transfer to signal £35,000-p/w Chelsea goalkeeper
Man Metropolis have set their sights on signing a goalkeeper who’s method down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge.
