Jack Grealish: The worst Premier League signing of all time?

After going scoreless against Juventus in the Champions League, Jack Grealish has gone 44 games without a goal for Manchester City. Has Pep Guardiola sucked the life out of the former high-flying winger?

Manchester City signed Grealish in the Summer of 2021 for £100 million ($127m/€120m) on a six-year deal from Aston Villa. At the time, it was the biggest deal in British football history.

The previous record was held by Paul Pogba when he re-joined Manchester United for £93.25 million ($118m/€112m) in the Summer of 2016, and look how that turned out for the French international.

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Pep Guardiola signed Grealish for his individual brilliance and natural ability to take and beat players on the wing. He was pivotal in Villa's promotion back to the Premier League and keeping them up as captain.

While consistently playing for his hometown club, Grealish was Villa's standout performer. He provided eight goals and six assists in 36 games in Villa's return to England's elite before a stellar campaign in his final season in Birmingham.

According to Transfermarkt, in ten fewer games in the 2020-21 season, Grealish showed his brilliance, scoring six goals and providing ten assists. He finished fourth in the Premier League assist column, with Villa finishing 11th.

Since joining Manchester City for a then-British record, Grealish has struggled for consistency and to regain the numbers he had shown in a Villa shirt.

In his first season, he provided three goals and three assists in 26 games, and in his second season, his best campaign to date, he scored five goals and created seven assists in 28 games.

In a Pep Guardiola team, a player can lose his individuality and take fewer risks to fit the system and playing style that Guardiola wants his team to play, and that's what has happened with the England man.

When he played for Aston Villa, Grealish's fearless approach and ability to create multiple big chances for his teammates made him so good. He has become prone to passing the ball backward and sideways at City.

According to the Premier League website, in his final season at Villa, Grealish created 14 big chances and executed 76 crosses. At City, his best campaign saw him make 12 big chances and 53 crosses in a team much more superior to Villa's.

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Due to injuries and a lack of form, Grealish has scored three goals and provided two assists in 31 league games in the last two seasons. However, he has received more yellow cards (9) than goals and assists. Is that worth £100 million?

After becoming one of the most expensive footballers in history and somehow becoming less effective in a far superior team, is he the worst signing in Premier League history?

Grealish has started five of Manchester City's 15 Premier League games this season, playing another bit-part role under Guardiola, but a former scout insists he could be out by the end of the season.

According to Football 365, former Aston Villa and Manchester United scout Mike Brown said: "I'm not sure about Jack Grealish. He's been in and out of the team again this season and is not a regular feature there."

"They're happy with what Doku and Savinho bring to the side. I've heard City could look to sign a big-name winger as they feel the squad could be strengthened in that position – that would be for next summer."

"But then, where does Grealish fit in the squad? He'd be facing even fewer starts. I think, if they do sign a new option, they could look to move him out to make space." Is Grealish the worst piece of business in Premier League history?

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