Jack Grealish return: Huge new claim about Man City star transfer to Aston Villa
Ben Foster has had his say on a potential Aston Villa return for Jack Grealish.
The England international departed Villa Park for Manchester City back in 2021 and has gone on to win a wide range of silverware.
Three Premier Leagues, one FA Cup and a Champions League signify the success the 29-year-old has found at the Etihad despite things going pearshaped in the past year.
As his spell under Pep Guardiola looks to be coming to an end, Foster has spoken out on the chances of the attacking midfielder returning to B6.
Foster can’t see Grealish making playing return to Aston Villa
The boyhood Villan departed the West Midlands on top of the world, becoming one of the best players in the Premier League despite playing for a midtable side under Dean Smith.
As a result, it was little surprise that he took up the option to join a title challenging side and play under Guardiola in doing so.
It is fair to say the Spaniard has stripped some of the key assets from his game and made him fit into his high-functioning system.
This has arguably made Grealish worse and less attractive as a prospect for other clubs to sign in the near future.
Foster has echoed this point and has suggested that the winger wouldn’t play under Unai Emery if he was to make an emotional return to Villa Park.
Speaking on the Football Fill-In (28 February), he said: “Thing is, if Grealish went back to Villa, he wouldn’t play. You look at this Villa team now, it’s about as good as I’ve seen it.
“The best starting 11 for this Villa team is up there with the Gareth Barry, James Milner, Ashley Young and Gabby Agbonlahor days. That team was phenomenal.”
Grealish unlikely to leave Manchester City for Aston Villa
There is likely to be a whole host of Villa fans who would love to see Grealish return to B6 just four years after his dreaded departure.
With that being said, the Englishman is a completely different player to when he left after multiple seasons being molded by Guardiola.
This has ultimately had a devastating effect on his form this season, which could see City be eager to part ways with their record signing in the summer.
| Premier League 2024/25 Stat | Jack Grealish |
| Goals | 0 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Successful dribbles | 13 |
| Chances created | 22 |
| Duels won | 44 |
It is unclear whether he would even welcome a move back to Villa Park but with the likes of Jacob Ramsey and Morgan Rogers already available to Emery, competition for places would be difficult.
It will be interesting what sort of activity goes on at the end of the season and how Grealish is effected by any movement.