Jack Grealish's camp are not keen on a move abroad for the Manchester City attacker this summer, Sports Mole understands.
The England international still has two years remaining on his contract at the Etihad Stadium, but his future is unclear heading into next season, with both himself and the Citizens open to a parting of ways in the summer transfer window.
Pep Guardiola's side would favour a loan exit for the 29-year-old, but they will not entertain sending him to a Premier League rival who could challenge them for a place in the Champions League.
Grealish's £300,000-a-week salary poses a major obstacle to any potential move, though, as English clubs outside the top-five chase would likely struggle to cover a significant portion of his wages.
The left-sided attacker has categorically ruled out a return to boyhood club Aston Villa, four years after leaving for Man City in a British-record £100m deal.
Sports Mole also understands that those close to Grealish are not in favour of an oversees move for Man City's No.10 this summer and would rather see him continue his career in England.
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Grealish transfer preference comes as a blow to Napoli
This news comes as a blow to Serie A title winners Napoli, who were allegedly plotting an ambitious move to sign Grealish this summer.
Antonio Conte, who is also facing an uncertain future, is said to be a 'huge fan' of Grealish, with Napoli known to be in the market for a new left-sided attacker after selling Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to Paris Saint-Germain for €70m in January.
The Partenopei have recent history when it comes to recruiting players with Premier League experience, as they signed Scott McTominay, Romelu Lukaku and Billy Gilmour on permanent deals last summer, the former of whom was named the division's Player of the Year after a stellar 2024-25 campaign.
With Grealish likely to remain in England, Napoli could turn their attention to other targets from the Premier League, including Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho and Nottingham Forest's Callum Hudson-Odoi.
Napoli are also pushing to sign Grealish's soon-to-be-departing Man City teammate Kevin De Bruyne, who is out of contract at the end of June and is likely to join the Italian champions, according to the club's president Aurelio De Laurentiis.
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Grealish exit from Man City on the cards?
Grealish has made a total 157 appearances for the Citizens since joining in 2021 and he was a key cog in Guardiola's sky blue machine that won a historic treble in the 2022-23 campaign.
However, Grealish has since struggled to make the desired impact in the final third and has fallen down the pecking order; he started only seven Premier League games in 2024-25 and was left out of City's matchday squad for their final fixture of the season against Fulham.
Guardiola has accepted that his No.10 could leave Man City this summer after admitting that a player of his calibre needs to play regularly, whether that be "with us or another place".
Explaining Grealish's omission against Fulham, the Catalan told reporters: "It was selection. Of course Jack has to play. He's an unbelievable player that has to play football every three days.
"It didn't happen this season and last season either. He needs to do it, and that's with us or another place. And that's a question for Jack, his agent and the club. If he stays, it will be fine and he fought like he fought from day one to make a contribution, but not today."
Grealish, who has also been left out of Thomas Tuchel's England squad ahead of next month's international break, 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.
Oliver Thomas
