The 29-year-old England international has fallen significantly out of favour under Pep Guardiolato the point that he was not even chosen to participate in the Club World Cup, a tournament that City exited earlier than expected after a surprising defeat against Saudi Pro League powerhouse, Al Hilal.

One goal and two assists in 2024/25

Although Grealish is undeniably a player worth watching, one can entirely grasp the Catalans' stance.

Throughout the entire 2024/25 season, the attacking midfielder managed a mere one goal and two assists in 21 appearances.

Even considering that he only started in eight of those matches - and his total minutes across all competitions (805) amounted to less than nine full games - it still falls significantly short of the standards that Guardiola has set for the Cityzens.

The squad as a whole was well below expectations when one considers past performances, so Grealish wasn't the only one underperforming; however, it is fair to say that Grealish truly did not perform at all.

A shot accuracy of just 6.7% indicates that even if he managed to get past his opponent, which was something that didn't happen frequently in 2024/25, there was little chance of him scoring.

Perhaps that's why the statistics suggest he preferred to assist a teammate, given his 91% pass accuracy in the Premier League.

Authentic and relatable

The flamboyant style in which Grealish plays is immensely enjoyable to witness from a fan's viewpoint. Supporters connect with his authenticity and grounded personality in an era where public figures seem to have undergone media training.

That might capture hearts and minds, but it doesn't secure football victories.

When you're attempting only nine tackles throughout an entire season and succeeding in just five of them, it's evident that you're not giving your all.

It's challenging to establish any rhythm when you're in and out of a team, it's true, though a player must impact the game when given the opportunity, and that's where Grealish struggled significantly in 2024/25.

During City's treble-winning season, for instance, Grealish was much more effective in both his goal-scoring and assist contributions as well as his overall involvement.

Five goals and seven assists remain his best record to date for the club (2022/23), while the 989 passes attempted are by far the most he has made in a single season for City.

274 one-on-one duels attempted compared to just 19 last season is another remarkable indication of how much of a spectator Grealish had become in certain matches, while 25 tackles attempted is nearly three times as many as last season. Winning 16 is more than three times what he achieved in 2024/25.

Is the treble victory the reason for Grealish's decline in form?

The notion that players have somehow 'completed football' if they manage to win the treble of Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League is a flawed argument, quite frankly, and merely reflects a lack of professionalism if such an achievement leads a player to ease off - as Grealish seems to have done.

So what lies ahead?

With the World Cup just a year away, Grealish might contemplate that a solid season in 2025/26 will, at the very least, give him a chance to be included in the discussions when Thomas Tuchel announces his final squad.

The German coach has demonstrated that he knows his own mind by reintroducing players into the international setup who many believed they had seen the last of in an England jersey.

Will anyone genuinely want to take the risk of purchasing a player who just a few seasons ago was valued at £100m, but likely isn't worth much more than a fifth of that now?

If he can perform well at a new club - and reports indicate that Italian giants Napoli are close to becoming his new employers - then there's every reason to believe that, aside from domestic success, he could cap it all off with an England recall.

Time to elevate his game again

However, for that to even be a consideration in Tuchel's mind, Grealish will need to return to the level of performance he displayed in 2022/23; otherwise, he can forget about it.

At 29 years of age, arguably the player still has a few seasons ahead at the highest level of the game if he's able to focus and put in the effort.

If he's satisfied to spend the remainder of his career in relative obscurity due to a lack of motivation, that would be the most disappointing conclusion to a reasonably solid career.

Read our exclusive transfer article on Jack Grealish here.