Sunderland make loan bid for Grealish as Manchester City prepare to sell £100m signing

Sunderland have submitted a loan bid for Jack Grealish, with Manchester City open to letting the 30-year-old depart before the transfer window shuts. The offer, reported by The Athletic, would see City contribute to Grealish’s wages and include an option to sign him permanently next summer when his contract expires.

Grealish spent last season on loan at Everton, where he made 22 appearances, scored two goals and provided six assists before a stress fracture in his foot ended his campaign early in January. Everton declined to exercise their option to sign him permanently for £50 million, returning him to the Etihad.

Despite being publicly frozen out by former City manager Pep Guardiola, Grealish has featured as a second-half substitute in both of City’s opening fixtures this season — the Community Shield defeat to Arsenal and Sunday’s 2-1 Premier League win over Bournemouth. New City head coach Enzo Maresca has not closed the door on the winger, saying: “Until the day he isn’t here, it’s my duty to try and coach Jack and to try to get the best from him. It’s one more week to go and we’ll see what happens, not only with Jack, but with more players.”

Sunderland, who face both domestic and European competition this season, are targeting Grealish as a marquee addition. City’s willingness to sanction the move comes despite already losing Savinho to Tottenham, with Omar Marmoush also expected to follow him out of the Etihad before the deadline.

Grealish joined City from Aston Villa for £100 million in 2021 — a fee that made him the club’s record signing at the time — but has never consistently justified that outlay, managing just 67 Premier League appearances across four seasons.