Manchester City expert Steven McInerney from Esteemed Kompany believes that there is "clearly an issue" with Jack Grealish at the Etihad Stadium and "the writing's on the wall" for the out-of-favour attacker to leave this summer.
Sports Mole understands that the 29-year-old and Man City are open to parting ways, with the Citizens favouring a loan exit, but not to a fellow Premier League club who could rival them for a place in the Champions League.
Grealish's £300,000-a-week wages could prove to be a major stumbling block for any potential move to materialise, though, as English teams who are not challenging for a top-five finish would find it difficult to afford that kind of salary.
Man City's No.10 has categorically ruled out a return to boyhood club Aston Villa, while the player's camp are not keen for him to move abroad, despite reported interest from Serie A champions Napoli.
While many may argue that both Grealish and Man City would benefit from a permanent parting of ways this summer, McInerney has suggested that a loan departure is more realistic at this stage.
Could Grealish head out on loan this summer?
Sharing his thoughts on a possible loan exit for Grealish, McInerney told Sports Mole: "I don't think it is (a surprise) to be fair, I think it's just realistic. Maybe I'm wrong there, but I think City are open to a loan because they know no-one's going to pay £300k a week...you can't sell Jack Grealish for less than £40m really - he's Jack Grealish.
"I think City's logic would be: Jack Grealish, even at his age, he's 29 and turns 30 in September, he still has a lot of market value. He's Jack Grealish, he's got an awful lot of quality, everyone knows that.
"I think City would be hoping that if he goes on loan to another team, does really well, someone's going to pay £30m to £40m for him because he's Jack Grealish and he has the quality - a maverick of a footballer."
Grealish, who has two years remaining on his contract, was left out of Man City's matchday squad for their final Premier League game of the season against Fulham and manager Pep Guardiola admitted after the match that a player of his calibre needs to play regularly, whether that be "with us or another place".
Reacting to those comments, McInerney said: "It's very obvious that [Grealish] is on his way...Ultimately, Grealish is not playing for a reason, there has to be a reason behind the scenes.
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"There clearly is an issue of some kind" with Grealish at Man City
"He's a £100m record-breaking transfer that Guardiola fought for in his own words aggressively, that is incredibly well-liked in the squad... that played a huge part in that treble run where he was that creative wide playmaker who worked incredibly aggressively.
"He's strong, he's physical, he's smart, he uses the ball really well, he's everything a Guardiola side would want. Guardiola was getting frustrated because his players weren't - in his own words - doing 'a thousand million passes'. Grealish is absolutely perfect for that, yet Grealish wasn't playing.
"That tells you something about what's going on there. We don't know what's going on, but it tells you about the strength of what's going on. There is clearly an issue there of some nature, because Guardiola, logically, should be leaning on Jack Grealish given his outlay.
"The fact that Jack Grealish is getting the same treatment as Claudio Echeverri, Oscar Bobb, [Abdukodir] Khusanov, as in the spare guy who can be rotated, it speaks volumes.
"There clearly is an issue of some kind there. I don't know who the issue is with and that will come out I'm sure in time, but the fact is Jack Grealish is far too good. He was a massive part of City's greatest ever side, arguably, and clearly he's far too well-paid to be a squad player and sit there and be left in the stands because Guardiola needs to make some changes.
"Something's gone wrong there, so I think he's almost certainly going to go on loan, and I heard some rumours he nearly went on loan in January anyway, so I think the writing's on the wall."
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Spurs? Man Utd? Another club? Options for Grealish discussed
McInerney can envisage Grealish joining a club like Tottenham Hotspur on loan and claims that the attacker almost made the move to North London in January, while a switch to rivals Manchester United seems highly unlikely given his connections with Man City.
Discussing which clubs could move for Grealish this summer, McInerney said: "Spurs. He nearly went on loan at the end of the January transfer window, from what I personally heard. I can imagine him going on loan there. He'd like life in London, he's there quite often anyway, so I can imagine him going to someone like Spurs.
"I don't know about Man United. I don't think he would do. I don't think he'd mind playing for United, but I just don't think he would do given the City links. I think he's quite an emotionally intelligent man and I don't think he'd want the noise that surrounds that, but I can see him going on loan to someone like Spurs.
"I'm sure a lot of teams would take him on loan. I'm sure Newcastle wouldn't scoff at the chance to take him on loan.
"We'll see, it won't be Villa. I can't see it being Chelsea. It definitely wouldn't be Arsenal. It won't be Liverpool. Newcastle maybe, that's just me wildly guessing. Maybe a team like West Ham, I don't know.
"I can't really see him playing for Bournemouth. Fulham? Maybe at a stretch. Brighton? It doesn't seem very Brighton (to sign a player like Grealish). I can only really think of Spurs, someone like that. But he'll be in the Premier League, it'll be a loan and he'll probably do quite well (at Spurs) I reckon."
Press play on the video at the top of this article to hear the full discussion.
Oliver Thomas
