Maresca's Decision on Jack Grealish's Future at Manchester City

Enzo Maresca has only just walked through the front door at Manchester City, but one of his first tasks is already clear: decide what happens next with Jack Grealish.

For now, the new City manager is keeping his options open.

“At the moment, he's here. He's a Man City player,” Maresca said at his first press conference, refusing to close down the possibility of Grealish forcing his way back into the champions’ plans.

It is a delicate situation. Everton want him back. City appear to prefer a clean break. And in the middle of it all is a £100m footballer still working his way back from injury.

Everton’s £100m dilemma

Grealish spent last season on loan at Everton and, when fit, made himself central to their survival push. He delivered two late match-winning goals and six assists before a stress fracture in his foot stopped his season dead in January, picked up in a 1-0 win at former club Aston Villa.

That injury ruled the England international out for the rest of the campaign. He stayed at Finch Farm to complete the bulk of his rehab, only officially returning to City when his loan expired last month.

Everton, though, have not moved on. There is a clear desire at Goodison Park to bring him back, and a strong belief that Grealish himself is open to the idea of another spell on Merseyside.

The problem is the terms. City are understood to favour a permanent exit rather than another loan. Everton, watching every pound, know what committing to a £100m player really means in the current market.

Familiar face, new role

Back in Manchester, Grealish finds a familiar ally in an unfamiliar position.

Maresca worked under Pep Guardiola as an assistant before taking charge of Leicester City and Chelsea. Now he has the job Guardiola vacated, and with it the responsibility for some of the most valuable assets in the game.

“Jack is here. I have a good relation with Jack since I left,” Maresca said. “Also, we keep in touch, and the reason why is because he has a big heart and he's a very good guy.”

That relationship matters. Maresca made it clear he sees it as his responsibility to coach any player on City’s books until the club decides otherwise.

“I always said the same. In any club I join, I like to know if there are players that belong to the club. It's my duty to try to coach them,” he explained. “And then we see what happens.”

For Grealish, that means a simple immediate target: get fit, get back on the training pitch, and convince either Maresca or Everton – or both – that he is worth building around.

He is edging closer to full training at City. The next decision will not be about sentiment or past price tags. It will be about where Jack Grealish can actually play his football this season – at the Etihad, or back in royal blue.