Jack Grealish still has a lot of work to do if a return to Manchester City is to become a reality, claims Sky Blues legend Sergio Aguero. Grealish has shone thus far in his loan spell at Everton, for which Aguero was full of praise for, but he branded any talk of a swift return to the Etihad as "premature" for the winger, who has yet to force his way back into the England squad under Thomas Tuchel.
Grealish on great form, but talk of Man City return too soon
Grealish has been a revelation since arriving at Hill Dickinson Stadium, registering one goal and four assists in seven matches and earning himself the Premier League Player of the Month award for August. The crowning moment of his Toffees career so far came when he scored the winning goal deep in stoppage time against unbeaten Crystal Palace last time out.
Iconic Cityzens striker Aguero praised Grealish for “finding his football again” but emphasised that it is too early to speculate over a return to the Etihad, where the 30-year-old had found himself as somewhat of an outcast for the last two seasons.
This makes particular sense in the context where it is the very freedom Grealish is afforded at Everton under David Moyes, which has likely been one of the contributing factors to his great strides in performance levels. The player himself has suggested that he was somewhat restrained from showcasing his true abilities during his time at City, and so Everton appears to be the perfect environment in which he can flourish at present.
AdvertisementGettyAguero speaks on Grealish and Man City return speculation
Speaking to Stake, Aguero said: “That type of forward-looking statement would be premature to make [that Grealish’s form will lead to a Man City return].
“Jack has found his football again, proven by his latest tally of assists and that massive goal against Palace that allowed Everton to take home the win.”
Grealish is likely to at least make a physical return to the Etihad on Saturday, though he will not be allowed to play for Everton against City due to the Premier League’s rules surrounding loan players.
Former manager Guardiola had his say on the Englishman in his press conference on Friday: "Obviously he is there. The impact has been massive from day one. He got minutes and minutes and this is what he wanted. The decision we had with him, because he's a lovely guy, but he's back to real business and he's playing every game.
"They're the rules. When I will be a CEO or president of a big institution in England maybe I will change it. If he played it would be nice, but I don't have any opinion."
Man City are on the rise, but Arsenal team to beat – Aguero
As the Premier League returns following the international break, Aguero also spoke of what he expects from City this season ahead of the visit of Grealish’s Everton to the Etihad.
“It's still the first few rounds of the Premier League, so it's early to make predictions,” he said.
“Liverpool, for one, looked strong at the start of the season with many wins – some of them close to the final whistle. But then their results began to decline. So that's why we'll have to wait to see how each game turns out.
“Arsenal are the team to beat, just like they've been for the past few seasons. Man City are on the rise and once more close to the top.
“As I usually say, the team that is the most consistent will take the trophy. That's what always happens. The last few years have given us many examples of teams holding on to the top spot for many weeks and then losing steam at the end.”
Getty Images SportGrealish will aim to secure World Cup spot – then future may become clear
Though we will not see Grealish in action on Saturday, it will be interesting to see how Everton fare without their talisman, who is already a key component of how the Toffees have played this season.
Seeing Everton struggle in the ex-City man’s absence would, if anything, only serve to reinforce the idea that he is currently in the right place. For the Sky Blues, he was just a single component of a squad which was in great need of refreshing anyway. At Everton, he is front and centre of everything.
That is not to say that a return to play for Guardiola next season is impossible. There is certainly a version of reality where Grealish stays consistently at the top of his game for the entirety of the season, earning a spot on the plane for the 2026 World Cup at the expense of the likes of Man City star Phil Foden. Should that happen, the Catalan may feel that he has no choice but to give Grealish another chance. But that all remains speculative for now.
