Guardiola reveals when he realized Grealish was perfect for Man City

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has revealed what convinced him to sign Jack Grealish and when he could make his debut.

Pep Guardiola realized Jack Grealish would make a perfect addition for Manchester City the moment he first saw him play years ago.

The 25-year-old attacking midfielder completed a British record £100 million move to City from Aston Villa on Thursday. He has signed a six-year contract until 2027 and takes over Sergio Aguero’s iconic No.10 jersey.

Now Guardiola has revealed when he first identified Grealish as a player suitable for his team, and what he admires about the England international.

“It was the first time I saw him playing. Years ago, when I saw him for the first time,” said Guardiola in a press conference on Friday.

“Sometimes it’s not possible, you have the squad, you have to invest in other parts of the team which are weaker but especially when I saw him on TV, I said this guy controls the tempo I love when he has the ball he stops before the dribble and the opponent stops as well.

‘He controls the tempo when he accelerates and decelerates. Especially when I saw him when we played Aston Villa, the physicality, the mentality.

“I liked many things we saw, that’s why we tried, especially [Manchester City director of football] Txiki [Begiristain]. Txiki was completely in love with him, so that’s why we tried. We could do it because we could sell, otherwise Jack would still be a Villa player.

“We believe he will be perfect for us and for the age, quality plus he is English. I’m sure he will be an incredible player for the national team and we’re delighted to have him with us.”

When could Grealish make his debut?

Grealish attended his first group training session at City on Friday after spending a week working on his own. Therefore, Guardiola won’t rush him into the line-up for Saturday’s Community Shield clash against Leicester.

This is despite the fact that several City players are missing, including Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden.

“He’s not ready to start at all,” said the Citizens boss on Grealish’s role in the Community Shield.

“He was one week training alone, but he’ll travel with us tomorrow to settle in the team and with meetings. He’ll be on the bench.

“After, we will see what happens, but in the beginning? No way.”