Pep Guardiola has seemingly confirmed Jack Grealish is set to leave Manchester City, as he insists the winger "has to play".
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Grealish left out of Club World Cup squad Has struggled for minutes Linked with summer exit Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Grealish has struggled for minutes across the last year, being limited to just seven Premier League starts. Now, with several reports claiming he could move on this summer, Guardiola has opened the door for him to do just that, suggesting he must leave City for the good of his career.
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Grealish, who has lost his place in the England team as a result of his lack of minutes, is not short on options, with Napoli among a clutch of suitors alongsideNewcastle and Everton. Guardiola has now suggested that the winger, who was signed for £100 million ($134.5m), must find a way to get the "butterflies in his stomach" back.
Watch every game of the FIFA Club World Cup live on DAZNStream nowWHAT PEP GUARDIOLA SAID
Guardiola told reporters at the Club World Cup, after leaving Grealish out of his squad, via ESPN: "He had a conversation between him and the club and they decided it was best [to stay behind. Jack is an exceptional player. The only reason why he didn't play last season is of course my decisions. We decide that he has to play. The club was honest, he was honest.
"We decide the best is to stay [behind] and have a place that he can feel like he can come back to be the player like he was in the year of the treble or all his career in Aston Villa. The fact is in the last two seasons he didn't play much minutes. He has to come back to play and have the butterflies in his stomach that he can play every three days, every three days and show again the quality he has."
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Grealish will be aiming to find a way out of the Etihad this summer. If he can, he will hope to force his way back into Thomas Tuchel's England squad.