Sunderland Pursue Loan Move for Jack Grealish from Manchester City
Sunderland are in talks with Manchester City over an audacious loan move for Jack Grealish, with an option to buy at the end of the season, according to David Ornstein of The Athletic.
The proposed deal would run into the final months of Grealish’s contract at the Etihad Stadium, which expires next year. A key part of the negotiations centres on money: Sunderland want City to continue paying a portion of the midfielder’s sizeable wages to make the move viable.
Grealish on the move
Grealish has been edging towards the exit for some time. His future has hung in the air all summer, with City open to both a loan and a permanent sale.
Under new manager Enzo Maresca, his role has shrunk even further. Maresca has barely turned to him, using the 28-year-old only twice so far – in the Community Shield against Arsenal and at home to Bournemouth in the league. For a player once signed as a marquee arrival, that’s a brutal comedown.
Last season, City sent him to Everton on loan. There, Grealish showed flashes of the old rhythm and creativity: two goals and six assists in 22 appearances, before a stress fracture in his foot in January cut his campaign short and sent him into rehab.
From €117m statement signing to the fringes
When City bought Grealish in 2021 for around €117 million, it was a statement of intent. He went on to collect multiple Premier League titles and capped it with the Champions League triumph in 2023. Across all competitions, he has played 159 times for the club.
Yet his influence has faded. Season by season, his minutes ebbed away. Former manager Pep Guardiola repeatedly stressed that leaving him out was not a personal slight, but the pattern was clear: Grealish had slipped down the pecking order in a squad overflowing with attacking options.
Now, Sunderland sense an opportunity.
Sunderland’s attacking rebuild
The north-east club are not stopping at Grealish. According to Sky Sports, Sunderland are also pushing to sign Igor Paixão from Olympique Marseille and have already lodged a bid for the Brazilian.
Two ambitious attacking targets, one window. If they can prise Grealish away from Manchester and add Paixão from Marseille, Sunderland’s forward line will look very different – and far more dangerous – by the time this season reaches its decisive stretch.
