Sunderland Pursue Jack Grealish as Manchester City Faces Winger Crisis
Sunderland are making an ambitious late move for Manchester City winger Jack Grealish as they hunt for extra firepower out wide before the window shuts.
The Black Cats want the 30-year-old on loan as he enters the final year of his City deal, but a permanent transfer is also on the table as the club weigh up how aggressively to move in the market. Wide areas are the priority, and Grealish sits right at the top of that list.
Everton, where Grealish spent last season on loan, are still in the conversation and remain keen. For now, though, Sunderland are pushing, sensing an opportunity in a complicated situation at City.
City short on wingers, but Grealish still in play
Enzo Maresca’s squad has been stripped of options in the wide forward positions. City have agreed to sell Savio and Omar Marmoush to Tottenham; Savio’s move is complete, while Marmoush is in the final stages of his switch.
On top of that, Jeremy Doku is sidelined with a short-term calf injury and is expected to miss two to three weeks. The combination has left City light in the areas Grealish occupies.
Maresca currently has only two senior, natural wide players: Antoine Semenyo and Grealish. Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki can operate out wide but are frequently used in central roles, making any decision on Grealish’s future a delicate one.
Grealish has started the season on the fringes, used off the bench in City’s Community Shield defeat to Arsenal and again in their Premier League opener against Bournemouth. His status as a rotation option offers Sunderland hope, even as City work to rebuild their flank options.
The champions are set to sign 22-year-old Brazilian Allan from Palmeiras as a replacement for Savio, but that deal is not yet completed. City are also tracking Cody Gakpo at Liverpool as they weigh up further attacking reinforcements. Any movement on those fronts could directly influence how far they are prepared to go in negotiations over Grealish.
Sunderland widen the net: Paixao and Catamo in focus
Grealish is not the only winger on Sunderland’s radar.
Regis Le Bris’ side are also trying to bring in Igor Paixao from Marseille and have already submitted a bid for the Brazilian this week. Leeds attempted to sign Paixao last summer before he chose Marseille, and Sunderland are now testing the French club’s resolve at a time when they need to raise funds.
Talks are ongoing. Sunderland’s priority is clear: add pace and threat on the flanks, at least one wide player, possibly two if the market breaks their way.
Alongside Paixao, Sunderland have spent weeks in discussions with Sporting Lisbon over Mozambique winger Geny Catamo. The 23-year-old carries a £51.4m release clause, a figure that underlines how complex that pursuit could become, even for a club already spending heavily this summer.
Busy window on Wearside
The Grealish chase comes at the end of a summer of significant churn at the Stadium of Light.
Sunderland have already brought in:
- Dayann Methalie from Toulouse for £25.7m
- Jules Ahoka from Royal Antwerp for £8m
- Thomas Meunier from Lille on a free transfer
- Ethan Berry from Crystal Palace on a free
- Adam Nelson from Glentoran on a free
They have also sanctioned a string of exits, headlined by:
- Eleizer Mayenda to Rennes for £22m
- Anthony Patterson to Wrexham for £10m
A raft of other players have departed on undisclosed deals or free transfers, including Ahmed Abdullahi (Eyupspor), Harrison Jones (Peterborough), Zak Johnson (York), Nazariy Rusyn (Karpaty Lviv), Timothee Pembele (Le Havre), Dennis Cirkin (QPR), Dan Neil (Rangers), and several others. Milan Aleksic and Matty Young have gone out on loan to Partizan Belgrade and Huddersfield respectively, while Bertrand Traore and Niall Huggins have been released.
It has been a window of bold decisions. Now comes the defining one.
Can Sunderland prise Jack Grealish away from a Manchester City side already short on wingers, or will their late push force them to turn fully towards Paixao and Catamo as the clock runs down?
