Jack Grealish, Manchester City’s £100million winger, has been told he must depart the club this summer if he hopes to secure a place in England’s squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The stark advice comes from former City midfielder Dietmar “Didi” Hamann, who believes Grealish’s diminishing role under Pep Guardiola jeopardizes his international career under new England manager Thomas Tuchel. With the World Cup set to take place in the United States, Mexico, and Canada next year, the clock is ticking for the 29-year-old to revive his fortunes.
Hamann, speaking to Best Betting Sites, didn’t mince words about Grealish’s situation at the Etihad Stadium. “If he wants to go to the World Cup in 2026, you only get so many chances as a player,” Hamann said. “To do that, and I’m sure Thomas Tuchel would have told him, he probably has to go somewhere else and play regular first-team football.” The former Liverpool and Bayern Munich star, who played for City between 2006 and 2009, argued that Grealish’s lack of consistent minutes under Guardiola has stunted his growth, despite the player’s undeniable talent.
Grealish’s struggles this season have been well-documented. He has not started a Premier League match since December 2024 and has been relegated to the bench in favor of younger talents like Jeremy Doku and Savinho. His total of 605 Premier League minutes this campaign marks the lowest of his senior career, a stark contrast to the 2,063 minutes he logged during City’s treble-winning 2022-23 season. With just seven goal involvements across all competitions—four of which came in the FA Cup against lower-tier opposition—Grealish’s impact has waned, prompting questions about his future at the club.
“Over the four or five years he’s been there, whether he’s been a success, I’d say no,” Hamann continued. “There’s just too many and too long periods where he hardly featured, didn’t feature, or didn’t really affect the game as much as he should have. I think he needs a change of scenery.” Hamann suggested that Grealish’s fortunes at City could hinge on Guardiola’s future, with speculation mounting that the Spaniard might leave after this season. “If Guardiola were to depart, there might be a chance he’d stay. If the manager stays, I think he most certainly will go,” Hamann added.
Grealish’s international career has also taken a hit. After being a key figure during England’s run to the UEFA Euro 2020 final and scoring at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he was controversially omitted from Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2024 squad. Thomas Tuchel, who succeeded Southgate in January 2025, has expressed admiration for Grealish, saying earlier this month, “I love Jack… he’s a player that should be available and can have an impact in our squad.” However, Tuchel left Grealish out of his first England squad for World Cup qualifiers earlier this month, citing the winger’s lack of game time at City as a key factor.
The 29-year-old’s decline mirrors a broader challenging period for Manchester City. The club, once a dominant force with four consecutive Premier League titles, has struggled this season, sitting outside the top four as of March 2025. Guardiola has faced criticism for his handling of Grealish, with some suggesting the manager’s rigid tactical demands have stifled the flair that made Grealish a standout at Aston Villa, where he captained the side and notched 16 goal contributions in his final season before his 2021 move to City.
Speculation about Grealish’s next destination is already rife. A return to Aston Villa, where he made over 200 appearances, has been mooted as a sentimental option, though Villa’s current attacking depth might complicate such a move. Tottenham Hotspur, who nearly signed him in 2018 under Mauricio Pochettino, have been linked again, with fans and pundits suggesting Grealish could replace an aging Heung-Min Son in Ange Postecoglou’s system. Other possibilities include Newcastle United, where his creativity could thrive in front of a passionate fanbase, or even a move abroad to Bayern Munich, where he could link up with England teammate Harry Kane under Vincent Kompany.
Guardiola, for his part, has remained supportive in public. After Grealish created a late winner for Kevin De Bruyne in a recent FA Cup tie against Leyton Orient, the manager praised his resilience: “Jack is a fighter… I saw the glimpse that he is going to rebel, to show the manager how wrong he is. I love that.” Yet, with City reportedly planning a squad overhaul this summer amid interest in high-profile targets like Paul Pogba, Grealish’s future hangs in the balance.