Guardiola denies conduct issues in Grealish’s benching

Guardiola denies Grealish behavior issues

Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola has denied any connection between Jack Grealish’s absence from the team and his behavior off the field. Grealish has been excluded from the squad for the Club World Cup and has been given permission to negotiate his departure from the Etihad Stadium with other clubs. Guardiola has questioned the midfielder’s performance in training in the past. The City coach has insisted that the only reason Grealish has been sidelined from the team in the last two years is due to the performance of other players, such as Jérémy Doku and Savinho.

The only reason [Grealish] didn’t play minutes was me, not because he was incorrect or anything like that.

Pep Guardiola

Grealish still has two years left on his contract with City. He has been linked with Premier League clubs, including Everton, Tottenham, and Aston Villa. Bayern Munich and Napoli are among the European clubs that have shown interest. City would prefer to negotiate a permanent transfer, but it is accepted that the 29-year-old player might have to leave initially on loan.

I want the best for Jack, his partner, his children, his family.

Pep Guardiola

Guardiola added: “I don’t know what’s going to happen now. I have no doubt about Jack’s qualities. The quality has always been there, the treble year would have been impossible.”