Sunderland Pursues Jack Grealish on Loan from Manchester City
Sunderland have launched a bold move for Jack Grealish, submitting an ambitious loan bid to Manchester City that underlines just how far the Wearside club have come – and how far the winger’s stock has fallen at the Etihad.
The Athletic reports that Sunderland’s proposal would see City continue to pay a large chunk of the 30-year-old’s hefty wages, with a structure in place that could turn the deal permanent next summer. That timing is no coincidence: it would align with the end of Grealish’s current contract at City and hand Sunderland a clear shot at a marquee signing if the gamble pays off.
For Grealish, it would mark a dramatic change of direction. Once the £100m centrepiece of City’s attack, now a player looking for minutes and a fresh stage.
A career at a crossroads
Grealish spent last season trying to reboot his career at Everton. Under David Moyes he showed flashes of the old swagger: two goals, six assists, 22 appearances. Then it all stopped. A stress fracture in his foot in January cut his season short just as he looked settled on Merseyside.
Everton had an option to buy him permanently for around £50m. They walked away. No late twist, no renegotiation. The England international returned to City with his future wide open.
City’s stance has been no secret. Reports as far back as June made it clear they were ready to listen to offers, temporary or permanent, for their former record signing. Grealish has racked up 159 appearances in all competitions for the club since arriving from Aston Villa, but his influence has faded sharply.
He has been reduced to cameos at the start of this season: off the bench in the Community Shield defeat to Arsenal, then another second-half introduction in the 2-1 Premier League win over Bournemouth. For a player who once owned the left flank in sky blue, it is a stark comedown.
Rewind to 2022-23 and he was a pillar of City’s Treble. Fifty appearances, relentless work on the wing, a constant presence as City swept the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup. That version of Grealish felt untouchable.
By 2024-25, he was anything but. Just seven league starts. Then the real jolt: left out of the matchday squad entirely for the final game of the season against Fulham. Pep Guardiola insisted it was “nothing personal”, yet Grealish was also omitted from the Club World Cup squad. The message was impossible to ignore.
Sunderland’s statement of intent
Into that vacuum steps Sunderland. This is not a nostalgic punt on a fading name; it’s part of a deliberate push to build a squad capable of handling Europa League football and the grind of a long season.
Head coach Regis Le Bris wants proven, top-level experience around his younger core. Grealish fits that brief on paper: European pedigree, title-winning know-how, and the ability to decide games from the left.
Sunderland’s recruitment this summer has already carried a different weight. Thomas Meunier has arrived to add nous and composure at full-back. Dayann Methalie brings energy and depth to the defence. Jules Ahoka strengthens the midfield options, giving Le Bris more flexibility in the centre of the pitch.
The chase for Grealish runs alongside another ambitious target: Marseille winger Igor Paixao. The 26-year-old Brazilian hit 12 goals in Ligue 1 last season and is seen as another key piece in Sunderland’s attacking rebuild. Personal terms are not expected to be a stumbling block, though an agreement with Marseille remains unresolved.
If both deals land, Sunderland’s wide options would look unrecognisable from recent seasons. If only one arrives, Grealish would still transform the club’s profile in Europe and at home.
A move that suits everyone?
For City, Sunderland’s loan offer ticks important boxes. It eases the wage bill, gives Grealish a platform without strengthening a direct Premier League rival at the very top end, and keeps the door open for a permanent exit next year.
For Grealish, it offers something more valuable than any clause or fee: a starting place, a central role, and the chance to feel important again in a side with European nights on the calendar.
For Sunderland, it would be a statement – not just that they are back on the continental stage, but that they intend to stay there.
The decision now hangs over Manchester, Wearside and a player whose next move could define the rest of his career.
