Pep signals Grealish's City exit: 'He has to play'

PHILADELPHIA -- Pep Guardiola has near the doorway unfastened for Jack Grealish to instrumentality to Manchester City, but suggested the perfect solution would beryllium for the England midfielder to find a caller nine and person "butterflies successful his stomach" again aft 2 years connected the sidelines.

Grealish has been omitted from the City squad for the FIFA Club World Cup and has been granted support to talk to different clubs astir a determination distant from the Etihad Stadium this summer.

Guardiola said the determination was taken aft "honest" talks betwixt Grealish and the club. And though helium stopped abbreviated of saying Grealish's City vocation is over, Guardiola hinted that helium needs to find a caller nine and rediscover his emotion of football.

"He had a speech betwixt him and the nine and they decided it was champion [to enactment behind]," said Guardiola.

"Jack is an exceptional player. The lone crushed wherefore helium didn't play past play is of people my decisions. We determine that helium has to play. The nine was honest, helium was honest.

"We determine the champion is to enactment [behind] and person a spot that helium tin consciousness similar helium tin travel backmost to beryllium the subordinate similar helium was successful the twelvemonth of the treble oregon each his vocation successful Aston Villa.

"The information is successful the past 2 seasons helium didn't play overmuch minutes. He has to travel backmost to play and person the butterflies successful his tummy that helium tin play each 3 days, each 3 days and amusement again the prime helium has."

Asked whether Grealish -- who has 2 years near connected his declaration -- is definite to permission this summer, Guardiola said: "I don't know. Now we determine don't travel present and what happens I don't cognize successful the end. If we don't find, he's a subordinate for Man City and helium volition beryllium back."

City person brought 4 caller players to the United States -- Rayan Cherki, Rayan Aït-Nouri, Tijjani Reijnders and Marcus Bettinelli -- and besides a new-look coaching team.

It includes Jurgen Klopp's erstwhile adjunct astatine Liverpool, Pep Lijnders.

Guardiola revealed helium asked support from Klopp earlier approaching Lijnders and said helium hopes to soak up the Dutchman's cognition aft his palmy spell astatine Anfield.

"As always, a agelong conversation," said Guardiola.

"In definite moments I suggested I was reasoning astir Pep, and helium gave maine his opinion, that was, of course, truthful highly was his close hand, 1 of the astir palmy periods of Liverpool successful the past years, and aft I took the clip to decide.

"I asked support to Jurgen, of course, due to the fact that I didn't privation to interfere much. I said to him it would beryllium a problem, you know, to speech to him, and helium said perfectly not.

"Pep volition assistance maine due to the fact that astatine the end, it's a question of backmost and forth, truthful his knowledge, I portion from his knowledge, and each time since we met together, and we speech a batch astir tactics, astir football, astir grooming sessions, and galore things, he's been truthful inspiring for me.

"I'm truly pleased for that, and, yeah, we'll spot what happens successful the future."