Jack Grealish sent an incredible warning to Pep Guardiola after Pep Said Jeremy Doku is better than him
Pep Guardiola’s “incredible” revelation prompted Jack Grealish to issue a warning to Manchester City.
Jack Grealish remains Manchester City’s most expensive player of all time, but he has been warned about his place in the team as Pep Guardiola looks to add to the treble he won last season.
Following the arrival of Jeremy Doku, Jack Grealish has been cautioned that he must work “harder” to retain his place at Manchester City.
Last season, the England star was instrumental in Pep Guardiola’s team winning the treble. He appeared in 50 games with the Citizens, scoring five goals and supplying 11 assists.
However, his future at the Etihad has been called into question this summer. City paid £55 million to buy Belgian wideman Doku from Rennes, and he has had a promising start to life at his new club. Doku scored his first goal for City in the weekend’s 3-1 comeback triumph over West Ham at the London Stadium, and he also shone in City’s Champions League match against Crvena Zvezda.
Former Manchester City defender Bacary Sagna says Grealish will have to work hard to reclaim his starting spot. “There will be really good competition on the left flank for Manchester City, this is what Pep [Guardiola] is looking for,” he told Paddy Power.
“You always try to take a player out of his comfort zone, and of course, we have to respect [Jack] Grealish as a player and the role he played in City’s treble-winning season; he was amazing and is a fantastic player.”
“Being in your comfort zone is never good for a player; you must continue to work hard.” The fact that [Jeremy] Doku is already having a significant impact on the squad will encourage Grealish to work even harder and be decisive when given the opportunity to play.
“I’ve known Doku for years because I follow Stade Rennais and admire the player he is.” I admire his straight style, his speed, and his strength, and he is one of the best one-on-one players I’ve seen. He and Allan Saint-Maximin share similar traits in that they are tough to mark and play against because they are inventive, forceful, you never know what they are thinking, and they always seem to change course.
“He will have a significant impact on the left flank; he is a proper winger, and he is a winger we don’t see very often these days; he is direct and only wants to attack.” This is wonderful for Manchester City, and having that kind of competitiveness is extremely good for Grealish and Doku, but only one will play, so I’m sure they’ll contribute even more, which is very beneficial.”
Aside from Sagna’s comments, Guardiola has previously praised his summer signing. Following the win over West Ham, he stated that the Belgian was “incredible” and that he was “very pleased” with his start at the Etihad.