Jack Grealish Set for Loan Move to Sunderland

Jack Grealish could be heading for a stunning move to Sunderland, with the Championship club in talks with Manchester City over a loan deal that would include an option to buy next year, according to David Ornstein of The Athletic.

The proposed structure is bold. Sunderland want Grealish on loan now, with the possibility of making the transfer permanent when his contract at the Etihad expires next summer. They are also pushing for City to continue paying a portion of his sizeable wages to make the deal viable.

It would mark a dramatic change of scenery for a player signed amid huge fanfare in 2021 for around €117 million. Grealish has collected league titles and lifted the Champions League trophy in 2023, making 159 appearances for City, but his role has steadily shrunk.

Under new manager Enzo Maresca, that trend has hardened. The Italian does not view Grealish as a guaranteed starter and has used him only twice this season: in the Community Shield against Arsenal and at home to Bournemouth. For a player of his profile, the writing has been on the wall for some time.

Last season, City sent the technically gifted midfielder on loan to Everton. He showed flashes of his old influence, scoring two goals and providing six assists in 22 matches, before a stress fracture in his foot in January halted his momentum and forced him into rehabilitation.

His diminishing minutes under Pep Guardiola in previous campaigns were often a talking point. Guardiola repeatedly stressed that leaving Grealish out was not a personal slight, but the pattern never really changed. Now, with a new coach and a squad packed with attacking options, a departure feels closer than ever.

Sunderland, ambitious and aggressive in this window, see an opportunity. Landing Grealish would be a statement of intent, but he is not their only target. Sky Sports report that the club are also keen on Igor Paixão from Olympique Marseille and have already lodged a bid for the Brazilian.

If they can prise Grealish away from Manchester and add Paixão on top, Sunderland’s attacking landscape could look very different by the time the window closes.