Sunderland Pursue Jack Grealish Loan Deal as City Evaluate Wing Options

Sunderland are making an ambitious late move for Manchester City winger Jack Grealish as they scramble to add firepower out wide before the window closes.

The Black Cats want the 30-year-old on loan as he enters the final year of his City contract, but a permanent transfer is also on the table as the club look for a more decisive solution on the flanks. The need is clear. So is the intent.

Grealish spent last season on loan at Everton and the Merseyside club remain keen to bring him back. Yet Sunderland have stepped into the race at a time when his situation at City is in flux.

He has started the new campaign on the fringes, used only from the bench in the Community Shield defeat to Arsenal and again in City’s Premier League opener against Bournemouth.

City’s own plans complicate matters. Enzo Maresca has seen his wide options stripped back after agreeing to sell Savio and Omar Marmoush to Tottenham. Savio has already completed his switch, with Marmoush in the final stages of his move.

That double departure has left City short in the wide forward positions, a problem worsened by a calf injury to Jeremy Doku that is expected to sideline him for two to three weeks.

For now, Maresca has just Antoine Semenyo and Grealish as his only senior, natural wide men. Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki can both operate out wide, but Maresca often prefers them in central roles.

City are moving to address that shortage. They are set to sign 22-year-old Brazilian Allan from Palmeiras as a replacement for Savio, although that deal is not yet complete. Cody Gakpo of Liverpool is also on their radar as they weigh further attacking additions.

Until reinforcements are signed and sealed, City’s willingness to sanction any Grealish exit – loan or permanent – remains a delicate balance between squad depth and financial opportunity.

Sunderland’s Winger Hunt Widens

Sunderland are not putting all their eggs in one basket. Alongside their push for Grealish, they are also working on a deal for Igor Paixao from Marseille.

Regis Le Bris’ side have a firm interest in the Brazilian and submitted a bid earlier this week. Leeds tried to sign Paixao last summer before he chose Marseille, but the French club now need to raise funds, opening the door for Sunderland.

Talks are ongoing, with Sunderland’s priority crystal clear: they want a winger in before the deadline, ideally two.

They have also spent weeks in negotiations with Sporting Lisbon over Mozambique international Geny Catamo. The 23-year-old has a £51.4m release clause in Portugal, a figure that underlines both his importance to Sporting and the scale of the decision facing Sunderland if discussions progress that far.

Busy Summer at the Stadium of Light

The Grealish pursuit comes at the end of a summer of significant churn at the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland have already brought in:

• Dayann Methalie from Toulouse for £25.7m
• Jules Ahoka from Royal Antwerp for £8m
• Thomas Meunier from Lille on a free
• Ethan Berry from Crystal Palace on a free
• Adam Nelson from Glentoran on a free

They have also sanctioned a string of exits:

• Eleizer Mayenda to Rennes for £22m
• Anthony Patterson to Wrexham for £10m
• Ahmed Abdullahi to Eyupspor, undisclosed
• Harrison Jones to Peterborough, undisclosed
• Zak Johnson to York, undisclosed
• Nazariy Rusyn to Karpaty Lviv, undisclosed
• Timothee Pembele to Le Havre, undisclosed
• Dennis Cirkin to QPR on a free
• Oliver Bainbridge to Boreham Wood on a free
• Tom Lavery to Gateshead on a free
• Dan Neil to Rangers on a free
• Rhys Walsh to Glentoran on a free
• Milan Aleksic to Partizan Belgrade on loan
• Matty Young to Huddersfield on loan
• Bertrand Traore released
• Niall Huggins released

It has been a reshaping, not a tweak. Now Sunderland want a statement piece for the wings to tie it all together.

If they can prise Grealish from City and land at least one of Paixao or Catamo, this window stops being about churn and starts to look like a bold reset of their attacking identity.