Jack Grealish told Man City return could happen as Pep Guardiola teases U-turn

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Pep Guardiola has refused to rule out the prospect of Jack Grealish making a return to the first-team fold at Manchester City next season in the wake of his impressive form at Everton .

The former Aston Villa winger, 30, was deemed surplus to requirements at The Etihad this summer after falling down the pecking order. Grealish would go on to join Everton on loan and has made a storming start to life with the Toffees , racking up five goal contributions (one goal, four assists) in his first seven Premier League games.

Unfortunately for Everton and Grealish, he is unavailable to play against his parent club when they meet on Saturday afternoon. And Guardiola's comments on the eve of the match suggest that the door could still be open for Grealish at City.

"I think he has a contract for one more year with us," Guardiola said in his pre-match press conference. "The important thing is he is back. He is a massive influence in the Everton games. After what's happened, maybe Manchester City want him back, but I don't know.

"Many things are still going to happen. We'll see. The important thing is he is playing again, a lot of minutes. This is the standard. I'm happy, really, honestly, that he's back in, trying his best."

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David Moyes admitted that Grealish would be a big miss for Saturday's game. Guardiola was also asked about the rule that prevents players from playing against their parent clubs, adding: "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."

Grealish struggled to make an impact in the 2024-25 campaign, where he started just seven times in the Premier League for Guardiola's side.

With his form at Everton putting him back in the spotlight, Guardiola is not the first to admit he's been impressed by the England winger. When he was asked if had spoken much to Grealish during his time away, the City boss replied: "Not yet, when he left, but since then, no. Hopefully tomorrow, if he comes to the Etihad, I can see him."

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