I judge what I see on the pitch: Guardiola on Grealish’s private life
Manchester: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has stated that he will assess players like Jack Grealish based solely on their performances on the pitch, rather than their off-field activities.
This comes after images surfaced on social media showing Grealish at a social club with friends, along with reports from Mail Online of him on a night out in Newcastle on the same evening.
Both outings reportedly took place last Sunday, a day after City’s FA Cup fifth-round victory over Plymouth, in which Grealish played the full 90 minutes. According to Mail Online, the England international spent time chatting with locals, posing for photos, and even covering the cost of drinks at the North East social club.
Last month, the 100m pound signing – who has started just one Premier League match since December 4 – was also filmed leaving a London hotspot.
Asked about the images of Grealish, Guardiola said: “A day off is a day off. They have private lives to do whatever they want. I’m not going to control what they do in their private life.
“I judge what I see on the pitch, the training sessions and the performances in the game.”
Guardiola bolstered his squad with four new signings in the winter transfer window, including Egypt forward Omar Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt for 59 million pound.
More signings are expected in the summer as City aim to regroup following underwhelming Premier League and Champions League campaigns.
With his contract running until 2027, Grealish faces uncertainty over his future, especially in a World Cup year, after being left out of England’s Euro 2024 squad.
“It’s so good to have a dream to play in the World Cup and Euros with his national team. I’m not bothered with that,” said Guardiola.
“What happens in terms of Jack, in terms of everyone, they will be treated at the end of the season. I don’t know what is going to happen but now we are playing for many important things.”