They preferred to sign him over Messi, was one of Guardiola's favorites but now he could leave Man City for $65M

Lionel Messi left FC Barcelona in the summer of 2021, and he was very close to joining Pep Guardiola's Manchester City as a free agent. Messi seemed to be very close to signing with Man City, but instead, the Manchester club signed Jack Grealish from Aston Villa for around $127.1 million, and the club gave him the number 10 shirt. Although Grealish was immense for Man City last season, he has not shined brightly this season. Football Insider reports that Aston Villa are positioning themselves in the front of the queue to sign Jack Grealish this summer. The 28-year-old is the most likely of Man City’s superstar players to leave.

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Since his arrival in the summer of 2021, Grealish has played a total of 125 matches in all competitions for Manchester City. The English winger scored 14 goals and has provided 18 assists. Since he joined Man City, he has won the Champions League trophy, the FIFA Club World Cup, two Premier League titles, one UEFA Super Cup, and one English FA Cup. He won the historic treble with Man City last season by winning the Premier League, the FA Cup, and the Champions League trophy.

Last season, Grealish made 50 appearances for City, where he scored five goals and provided 11 assists. This season, Grealish has made 36 appearances, where he scored three goals and provided three assists. Some fans believe his best level in football was his last season with Aston Villa in the 2020/2021 season. With a potential return to Villa Park, Grealish could regain his confidence and deliver performances that made Man City choose him over Messi in the summer of 2021.

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Jack Grealish's last season with Aston Villa

In the 2020/2021 season, Grealish was attracting interest from the biggest clubs in England due to his performances at Aston Villa. He played a total of 27 games in all competitions, scoring seven goals and providing ten assists. The English singer earned his first call-up for the England national team during this season and earned a spot in the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament, where England was runners-up in the final against Italy.