Manchester City, one of the Premier League giants, is currently in the United States preparing for the FIFA Club World Cup. However, amidst this preparation and anticipation, former Man City captain Micah Richards has expressed his concerns about what he sees happening at his former club. This article delves into these concerns and provides an overview of the current situation at Manchester City.
Phil Foden, a key midfielder for Man City, is among many who are looking forward to winning the Club World Cup this summer. The entire team associated with Manchester City is eager to put behind them the 2024/25 campaign and start afresh with renewed vigor.
The opening phase of the summer transfer window saw major changes as Pep Guardiola was keen on adding four to five new faces to his squad before kick-starting their new Premier League season in August. The club has already hit that number of new signings ahead of their participation in the Club World Cup. However, these additions mean that some exits will have to occur over the coming weeks - a fact that has stirred up some emotions among fans and former players alike.
Micah Richards' concerns
Micah Richards has been particularly vocal about one star player's situation - Jack Grealish. According to him, it’s sad what is happening at Manchester City regarding Grealish's position.
“No, it’s sad though, isn’t it? It’s sad because I don’t know if I’m biased. I don’t know, I don’t think I’m biased because I’ve seen him week in, week out at Villa and I know how good he is, and he can still be. I think he’s played a little bit within himself, and I think we’ve discussed that a lot on Match of the Day, haven’t we? But he’s playing in a system and a format which suits the rest of the team, not necessarily him. I don’t think that’s making excuses for him. I just think that’s the fact and especially when he was at Villa. When he was at Villa, teams weren’t playing the low block, so he had space to run into.
“When you’re at Man City, everyone’s playing a low block and you’ve got to try and break them down. Unfortunately, he’s just not been at the level we all expect. He did really well in the season when they won the treble. I think he was a key player in that. But yeah, maybe I agree with you. Best for both parties to move on.”
Grealish was not included in Man City’s squad for their FIFA Club World Cup matches which suggests that he might be leaving Etihad Stadium soon. This exclusion from such an important tournament indicates potential changes in his career trajectory within weeks. Several clubs have shown interest in signing Grealish but no official move has been made yet by any team. Given that he commands a price tag around £50m this summer along with a weekly salary of £300,000, it remains to be seen which club will make the significant investment required to secure his services.
