Tottenham receive Jack Grealish green light following transfer enquiry as Man City legend gives verdict

Jack Grealish would be a "huge asset" for Tottenham Hotspur following the Lilywhites' enquiry for the out-of-favour Manchester City attacker, Sky Blues legend Richard Dunne has suggested.

Sports Mole understands that the Europa League winners submitted an immediate enquiry for Grealish after losing James Maddison to a severe-looking knee injury in the weekend's friendly against Newcastle United.

Maddison is feared to have suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) problem, which could potentially threaten his entire 2025-26 campaign, and Spurs have now leapfrogged Napoli in the race for Grealish.

The 29-year-old has struggled to justify his £100m price tag since joining City from Aston Villa in 2021, and Pep Guardiola is expected to sanction his exit for the right price given the embarrassment of riches at his disposal in the final third.

Speaking exclusively to Sports Mole, Dunne expressed regret over Grealish's time at Man City but backed the attacker to thrive in North London, saying: “It’s a shame really. It’s just about being in form at the right time.

Grealish would be "huge asset" for Tottenham after transfer enquiry

"And when players had a bit of an off-season last year, it was an opportunity for Grealish to stand up and be the one that brought the goals and assists. But he never got the game time.

“It's difficult for him and that opportunity is gone. It's probably time for him to move on. As good as a player I think he's been, I don't think he'll get the chance at City any more.

"So, unfortunately, he will move on. But wherever he goes, he'll be a huge asset. Certainly, if he went to Tottenham, he'd be a fantastic player for them.”

Everton are also believed to have taken an interest in Grealish, who has been directly involved in 40 goals from 157 appearances for Man City in all tournaments, 17 of his own and 23 assists.

The England international managed just one goal and one helper from 20 Premier League matches in the 2024-25 campaign, though, before being left out of Guardiola's squad for the 2025 Club World Cup.

How Grealish could fit in at Tottenham under Thomas Frank

Maddison is not the only Spurs creator sidelined with a knee problem, as Dejan Kulusevski is working his way back from an issue in the same area and will not be ready in time for the start of the 2025-26 Premier League season.

Lucas Bergvall and Mohammed Kudus could function in that role, but City's immediate enquiry for Grealish suggests that Thomas Frank wants to deploy the Englishman in a central playmaking role, similar to the one Mikkel Damsgaard played for the Dane's Brentford side.

Despite playing almost predominantly from the left for Man City, Grealish is not a complete stranger to operating centrally or even in the right half-space; the attacker would most likely be happy with any position where he has complete freedom to express his creative talents.

The permanent exit of Son Heung-min and Mikey Moore's loan switch to Rangers also opens up the possibility of Grealish starting on the left wing once Kulusevski and/or Maddison return, offering Frank incredibly useful squad depth for the Champions League campaign.

Even if Grealish does make the switch to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, City still have Jeremy Doku, Savinho, Oscar Bobb, Omar Marmoush, Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki available to support talismanic number nine Erling Haaland, making the Englishman surplus to requirements at the Etihad.