Manchester City attacker Jack Grealish has categorically ruled out a return to boyhood club Aston Villa, Sports Mole understands.
The 29-year-old is facing an uncertain future at the Etihad Stadium, with both himself and the Citizens open to a parting of ways in the summer transfer window.
Man City would prefer to send Grealish out on loan, but they are reluctant to let him join a fellow Premier League club who could rival them for a Champions League spot.
However, Grealish's £300,000-a-week wages would be an issue towards any potential move away, as English teams who are not challenging for a top-five finish would struggle to stump up enough of that cash.
An emotional return to Aston Villa for Grealish has been mooted for some time, but Sports Mole has been told that the England international does not want to entertain the possibility of re-joining the Lions and shut down the idea straight away.
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Grealish shuts down Aston Villa return
Grealish, who joined Villa's academy at the age of six, worked his way through the club's youth ranks and also experienced a season on loan at Notts County before making his senior debut for the Lions in May 2014 against none other than Man City in the Premier League.
The Birmingham-born attacker spent seven years in Villa's first team and developed into an influential senior star, initially making a name for himself in the Championship and leading Villa to promotion via the playoffs in 2019 before helping the club, as captain, re-establish themselves in the Premier League.
Grealish made a total of 213 appearances for Villa, scoring 32 goals and providing 43 assists, before making the decision to leave his boyhood club in 2021 and join Man City for a British-record £100m in the hope of winning major silverware and to further his career.
Many would have assumed that returning to a Villa side now on the up, competing in the upper echelons of the Premier League rather than battling relegation or settling for a mid-table finish, could appeal to Grealish in the prime years of his career.
However, Grealish seemingly feels that his chapter at Villa Park is closed for good, and an opportunity to experience a fresh challenge at a new club in a different environment would be his preference.
It is also unclear as to whether head coach Unai Emery would welcome integrating Grealish into his first-team plans, especially if Villa opt to sign Marcus Rashford on a permanent deal from Manchester United.
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What does the future hold for Jack Grealish?
Although Grealish still has two years remaining on his contract at the Etihad Stadium, speculation over his future at Man City is rife at a time when he has fallen down the pecking order under manager Pep Guardiola.
The left-sided attacker has made a total 157 appearances for the Citizens and played an integral role in the club's historic 2022-23 treble-winning campaign, but he has since struggled to make the desired impact in the final third.
Grealish has scored just three goals in 32 games across all competitions this season and has been limited to just seven Premier League starts, while he was also left on the substitutes' bench for Man City's FA Cup final defeat to Crystal Palace last weekend.
Man City's No.10 came on as a late substitute in Tuesday's 3-1 home win over Bournemouth in the Premier League, but is it understood that he will be left out of Guardiola's matchday squad for the Citizens' important final-day trip to Fulham on Sunday.
Guardiola recently suggested to the media that a decision on Grealish's future will be made when discussions take place between the player's representatives, outgoing director of football Txiki Begiristain and his successor Hugo Viana.
"We didn't talk - I didn't talk with him," Guardiola told reporters. "People don't believe me, but these things belong to the agents and the club and Txiki, and in this case Hugo as well. Both will decide."
Grealish has been left out of Thomas Tuchel's England squad ahead of next month's international break and the attacker will want assurances over regular first-team football at club level wherever he ends up next season, as he attempts to force his way back into the Three Lions setup ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
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Oliver Thomas
