Wolves winger Chiquinho is facing a long spell on the sidelines after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury during a pre-season friendly.

The Portugal Under-21 international made a positive impression after arriving at Wolves from Estoril in the January transfer window.

He made nine appearances in all competitions for Wolves in the final three months of the 2021-22 season and assisted three goals in six Premier League outings.

Chiquinho had been expected to play a prominent role under Bruno Lage this coming season, but he may now miss the remainder of the year.

Wolves announced on Sunday that the 22-year-old suffered the injury during a collision with a Burnley player in a behind-closed-doors friendly the previous day.

Scans confirmed an injury to the ACL and Chiquinho will now undergo surgery before beginning a period of rehabilitation.

Wolves, who finished 10th in the Premier League last season, begin their 2022-23 campaign with a trip to Leeds United on August 6.

Jurgen Klopp believes Liverpool will head into the 2022-23 season "as confident as possible" about the prospect of challenging on all fronts once again.

Liverpool fell short of an unprecedented quadruple last season, faltering in both the Champions League final and on the last day of the Premier League season after lifting the EFL Cup and FA Cup.

Liverpool relied on penalties in both of their cup successes as they failed to score in five and a half hours of football in major finals last season, which led to concerns over their ruthlessness in front of goal.

Darwin Nunez has since arrived at Anfield from Benfica in a deal reportedly worth £64million (€75m), with a further £21.4m in potential add-ons, in a move that Klopp will hope provides greater reliability in attack.

Star forward Mohamed Salah has also penned a contract extension and, despite Sadio Mane leaving for Bayern Munich, Klopp remains convinced Liverpool can compete with Manchester City once more.

"As confident as possible. You never know obviously but I saw today on the plane a squad full of quality," he told reporters at Sunday's news conference in Thailand, where Liverpool are on a pre-season tour. 

"You always need a little bit of luck, how we all know, if you want to win a trophy. But to play a good season you need first and foremost consistency, that's what it's all about and that's what we will try.

"I have no doubt about the quality of the boys. We brought in new players – yes, we lost a few players – but we brought in new players; if you want, fresh blood, really helpful.

"There are no places already sorted, who will play where. The boys will make pressure, which is important.

"We have five subs from now on in the Premier League as well – we have to get used to that, we have to adapt to that. I'm really looking forward to it.

"There are no guarantees in football but there's a good chance that we play another good season, I would say."

Liverpool face fierce rivals Manchester United in Bangkok on Tuesday in what will be Erik ten Hag's first game in charge of the Red Devils.

The Reds hammered United by an aggregate scoreline of 9-0 in the Premier League last season, and Klopp insists there will be no such thing as a friendly between the two teams.

"Manchester United, a new manager, trained a little bit longer than us so might be, I'm not sure, in a better situation in the moment," he added.

"But we see it as an important test because it's against United and we don't play friendlies, obviously both teams don't play friendlies against each other, so we will see what we can do.

"We never prepare for one match, we prepare for a full season. That means the boys who started Monday last week had a proper start so far, we could train in the way we wanted.

"We had now a full week already and we are now here to play two games in Asia, first this one and then in Singapore against Crystal Palace. So, we have to see.

"We have to train and we have to play, it means the games are actually like a session as well but the boys have to go really hard.

"Let's see where we stand in this specific moment and then we can go home to England and then we go from there to Austria for another camp."

Matthijs de Ligt leaving Juventus would be a "great loss" for Massimiliano Allegri's side, according to former Bianconeri defender Andrea Barzagli.

Barzagli formed a formidable centre-back trio with Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci during his time in Turin, with the latter pair still playing for Juve when De Ligt arrived for €85.5million from Ajax in 2019.

The Netherlands international has fallen short of expectations during his first three years, leading to transfer speculation with Chelsea, Manchester United and Bayern Munich apparently interested.

De Ligt played more minutes (2,675) than any other Juve outfield player in the 2021-22 Serie A season as Allegri's side finished fourth after a poor start to the campaign.

While questions remain over the leadership qualities of De Ligt, who Juve chief executive Maurizio Arrivabene says wants to leave, Barzagli believes the centre-back would be missed at the Allianz Stadium.

"Matthijs did not show his maximum potential despite the excellent championship last year, in which he began to take responsibility for leading the defence and the team," Barzagli told Tuttosport.

"De Ligt arrived at Juventus when he was young and with the pressure of having been paid a lot, with two great defenders in front of him like Chiellini and Bonucci.

"It is not easy when you get paid like that and there are expectations. It is difficult to find continuity and have the right confidence with two monsters like that in front.

"If he were to leave, it would be a great loss for Juventus and also for the Italian championship."

Nottingham Forest's preparations for a first season back in Premier League have continued with the signing of full-back Omar Richards from Bayern Munich.

The upcoming campaign will see Forest competing in the top flight for the first time since getting relegated in 1999 – since then, they have also spent three years in the third tier.

It seems they are leaving no stone unturned in their bid to avoid dropping straight back down to the Championship next year, with Richards' reported £10million (€11.8m) signing taking them up to £46m spent already – only eight Premier League clubs have paid more in this window.

Richards becomes their fifth signing ahead of the new with, with Forest having already brought in Taiwo Awoniyi, Moussa Niakhate, Giulian Biancone and Dean Henderson, who joined on loan.

Former England Under-21 international Richards only joined Bayern last year, signing on a free transfer after his Reading contract expired.

The London-born left-back made 17 appearances in all competitions as Die Roten won the Bundesliga, but he is back in England and set for a first opportunity in the Premier League, signing a four-year contract.

He is the third new Forest signing to have come from the Bundesliga after Awoniyi and Niakhate, who joined from Union Berlin and Mainz respectively.

Erik ten Hag hopes "one or two" of the Manchester United youngsters travelling with the senior side for pre-season can break into his squad for the new season, but he warned it will not be easy.

Ten Hag was appointed as successor to interim manager Ralf Rangnick in May after the German and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer before him presided over a dreadful season that culminated in United finishing sixth.

Their points total of 58 was the worst United have ever recorded in the Premier League, while the 2021-22 campaign saw them fail to finish a league campaign with a positive goal difference for the first time in over 30 years.

That haul of 58 points was six fewer than David Moyes – and Ryan Giggs as his caretaker replacement – managed in the 2013-14 season, which was the first following Alex Ferguson's retirement.

With many players seemingly coming to the end of the road with United, all signs pointed towards a massive rebuild occurring over the transfer window; several signings were expected after Rangnick suggested they needed as many as 10, while there was an expectation some younger players would get a chance.

Things have not really gone to plan on the transfer front yet, with left-back Tyrell Malacia the only new face, but United did head out on their pre-season tour with a host of youngsters in the travelling party.

Charlie Savage, Zidane Iqbal, Alejandro Garnacho, Nathan Bishop, Matej Kovar, Ethan Laird, James Garner, Facundo Pellistri and Amad Diallo are all with United in Bangkok, waiting to stake their claims, but Ten Hag suggested they are probably not even aware of how hard they will need to work to impress him.

"What I want to see is that they learn but also they show themselves because they have to deserve a position in top football," Ten Hag told MUTV.

"You have to deserve your position. It means you have to deliver every day, that demands a certain style, a certain way of life that they have to adapt to, that they probably don't know yet.

"But I am really looking forward to seeing if they can do it.

"I hope one or two, they can prove themselves and they come into the squad but, if they want to enter the dressing room, they have to deserve it."

United will play their first pre-season match – and first under Ten Hag's stewardship – in Bangkok on Tuesday when they face bitter rivals Liverpool.

They are also due to face Melbourne Victory, Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, Atletico Madrid and Rayo Vallecano in pre-season, with the latter being Ten Hag's first game at Old Trafford on July 31.

Sanctions placed on Roman Abramovich as a consequence of Russia's invasion of Ukraine plunged Chelsea into uncertainty earlier this year, but an ownership change has seen a degree of stability return.

Despite the departures of Romelu Lukaku, Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen this off-season, Todd Boehly's consortium has allowed Chelsea to resume with their preparations for the new season.

And it appears they are close to clinching their first signing of the new era, with a transfer for one of the Premier League's best attackers seemingly imminent.

TOP STORY – RAHEEM STERLING SET FOR CHELSEA

Chelsea have reached a deal with Manchester City to sign Raheem Sterling, according to David Ornstein of the Athletic.

The 27-year-old is set to sign a contract until 2027 with the option of an extra season, signalling the first major signing under new ownership.

Starting his senior career with Liverpool, Sterling moved to City in 2015, scoring 131 times in 339 appearances for them in all competitions.

The England international's status under Pep Guardiola became less secure in the past season however, with Phil Foden and Jack Grealish seeing increased time on the left wing.
 

ROUND-UP

– Meanwhile, Barcelona have matched Chelsea's offer of €70.1million (£60m) plus add-ons for Leeds United's Raphinha, Goal is reporting.

– Frenkie de Jong is hoping to remain at Barcelona and will reject an approach from Manchester United, per Sport.

– Bayern Munich have met with the representatives of Matthijs de Ligt, but Juventus are yet to receive an opening bid, according to Fabrizio Romano.

– Brighton and Hove Albion are in talks with Marc Cucurella over an improved deal amid interest from Manchester City, the Athletic reports.

Erling Haaland was confirmed as Manchester City's new number nine on Saturday, taking over from Gabriel Jesus after the Brazilian joined Arsenal.

The new recruit from Borussia Dortmund was already expected to lead City's attack in the new season, and now he has the symbolic number to go along with that responsibility.

Haaland, who turns 22 on July 21, has joined a City side who edged out Liverpool to land the Premier League title on the final day of last season.

There is good reason for the high expectations that surrounded his arrival. The Norwegian scored 86 goals in 89 appearances in all competitions during two and a half years at Dortmund, with only Robert Lewandowski (123 in 108 games) and Kylian Mbappe (93 in 111 games) from Europe's top five leagues scoring more in that time.

Last season, Haaland scored 29 goals in 30 games in all competitions at a rate of one goal every 3.6 attempts, and he put away 65.8 per cent of his big chances.

City reached the semi-final stage of the FA Cup and Champions League last season, alongside their Premier League success, playing for large parts of the season with a 'false nine' attacker, rather than the out-and-out centre forward that Haaland is.

Haaland is set to be ceremonially presented as a City player on Sunday, when the club stage an event with the striker and fellow new recruits, including former Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips and ex-River Plate forward Julian Alvarez.

Saul Niguez is eager to demonstrate his growth upon returning to Atletico Madrid after a "complicated" loan spell at Chelsea last season.

Despite racking up 24 appearances across all competitions, the midfielder endured a difficult temporary stint with the two-time Champions League winners.

Indeed, he made just five starts in the Premier League, while only completing a full 90 minutes on three occasions under Thomas Tuchel.

Nevertheless, Saul insists that his stint with the Blues was hugely beneficial experience for him – both as a player and a person.

And upon returning to his parent club, the Spain international is hoping to use those learnings to his advantage as he fights for a place in Diego Simeone's side.

"I'm looking forward to coming back home and I'm mentally at my best," Saul told the club's official website.

"I know that I come from a loan period in which I haven't had many minutes, and that I have to work hard, persevere and make a lot of sacrifice to get a place in the team.

"There is a very high level of competition; we have an enormously competitive team. 

"I can only be grateful to all the people at Chelsea for their trust and to my team-mates for making the year so easy for me and helping me, and to Atleti for making it easier. 

"I come with a lot of humility, thinking about working and helping the team in whatever way I can and from wherever I can. 

"I really want to show that, despite having had a complicated year, it has been very good for me to improve and grow in many aspects, both sporting and personal."

Richarlison has revealed he is hoping to make history with Tottenham and relishing the opportunity to play Champions League football under Antonio Conte.

The Brazil international became Spurs' fourth signing of this transfer window earlier this week when he arrived from Everton in a deal reported to be worth around £60million.

The forward played a key role in steering the Toffees away from the threat of Premier League relegation last season, scoring six times in their final nine games under Frank Lampard.

Richarlison, who previously played for Watford in the English top flight, is excited to get down to work with his new club, who will play in the Champions League this season.

And he cannot wait to fulfil his dream of appearing in Europe's premier club competition.

"I remember when I was in Brazil and the offer came from Tottenham, I couldn't believe it. And after I signed the contract, even more so," he told the club's official website.

"When I arrived here, it gave me a chill in my stomach to see my new team-mates and a new home.

"Now, it's about working with the great coach I have, with great team-mates too. I hope to make history here in this shirt.

"I always said it was my dream to play in the Champions League, and now this dream will come true. And let's see what will happen.

"All the players dream of playing in this great competition, so I think when the time comes, I'll be quite emotional."

It is now 14 years since Tottenham's most recent silverware, with Juande Ramos guiding them to glory in the League Cup in 2008.

But Richarlison is confident that the squad boast the necessary credentials to finally end that wait this season.

"Antonio Conte is putting together a great team to be able to compete in all competitions," he added.

"The coach will prepare us very well for this because there are many competitions, and now we have to be focused as much as possible. 

"So, I think we have everything to make great competition, and in the end, we have everything to lift a trophy."

Cristiano Ronaldo is a "goal machine" who will remain competitive until the day he retires, former Italy and Juventus defender Gianluca Zambrotta has told Stats Perform.

Five-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo has reportedly asked to leave Manchester United if an offer is made after just one season back at Old Trafford.

The Portugal international has yet to return to training with United and is not part of their tour of Thailand and Australia, which has been put down to family reasons.

Ronaldo scored a team-leading 24 goals in all competitions last season, but his homecoming did not go to plan as United registered their lowest Premier League points tally.

United endured a fifth successive season without silverware and finished down in sixth, meaning no Champions League football in the 2022-23 campaign.

That is said to be the reason why Ronaldo is seeking a new challenge, and Zambrotta has backed the 37-year-old to continue firing wherever he plies his trade.

"Ronaldo is a player who makes a difference at the moment. We have seen it. The numbers say this," Zambrotta said. 

"Which team can be right for him? I don't know. Definitely a team fighting for the Champions League, a team fighting for many goals.

"Because I am sure that he always wants to be competitive, until he retires. And I still think Ronaldo is a goal machine any team he plays for."

Ronaldo is the Champions League's all-time leading scorer with 140 goals and has won the competition four times with Real Madrid and once with United in his previous spell.

He scored six goals in last season's competition but could not help United further than the last-16 stage, where they were eliminated over two legs by Atletico Madrid.

However, while United endured a dreadful campaign under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and then Ralf Rangnick, Zambrotta does not feel Ronaldo was to blame.

"Let's say that he also needs team-mates," said Zambrotta, who represented the likes of Juve, Barcelona and Milan, while helping Italy to World Cup glory in 2006. 

"Even when Ronaldo was criticised at Juve, and they weren't able to move forward in the Champions League, he has always made the difference from a numerical point of view. 

"The data, the numbers say this. You can't think of going against the numbers. And then you may like him, or you may not like him – this is another kind of speech.

"But he has always been a player who has always made the difference from that point of view."

Ronaldo is not the only big-name attacker potentially on the move this window, with Robert Lewandowski also eager to move on from Bayern Munich.

Lewandowski scored 50 goals in 46 games in all competitions last season in his second-best scoring campaign across eight years with Bayern, behind the 55 netted in 2019-20.

The prolific striker has less than 12 months to run on his contract and has made no secret of his desire to leave, with Barcelona this week confirming an offer has been tabled.

It could lead to a bitter split between Bayern and Lewandowski but, like with Ronaldo, Zambrotta can understand why the player wants out.

"I have always been used to not judging anyone because I don't know the personal stories and current events of each case," he said. 

"Everyone can find themselves in a certain moment of their life or career in which they need to change because they need new motivations, new stimuli. 

"He needs a change of scenery, to see new faces, to stay in another stadium, to meet new mates. 

"Maybe at that moment, it was perhaps the right one for a player, so it doesn't affect me and most likely [Lewandowski] wants to change the air. That's all."

Paul Pogba is undergoing a medical at Juventus as he edges ever closer to sealing a return to his former club.

The France international is set for a second spell with the Bianconeri following his departure from Manchester United upon the expiration of his contract.

Pogba was greeted by many Juventus supporters when he arrived at the club's medical centre on Saturday, having jetted into Turin the previous day.

The 2018 World Cup winner, who is expected to sign a four-year deal at the Allianz Stadium, enjoyed a trophy-laden first spell with the Serie A giants between 2012 and 2016.

Pogba won the Scudetto in each of his four seasons and helped the club reach the 2015 Champions League final, while registering 34 goals in 178 appearances across all competitions.

The ex-United midfielder is set to be joined at Juve by another former Red Devil in Angel Di Maria, who underwent a medical on Friday after leaving Paris Saint-Germain last season.

Brentford have signed Scotland international full-back Aaron Hickey from Bologna for a reported club-record fee in the region of £14million (€16.6m).

The 20-year-old's arrival on a four-year deal, which also includes a series of add-ons, was officially confirmed by Brentford on Saturday.

Hickey spent two years in Serie A with Bologna after arriving from Scottish side Hearts and played 48 times in all competitions, 36 of those appearances coming last season.

He scored five goals and assisted one more in the Italian top flight last term and his form was rewarded with the first of four caps for the Scotland national side in March.

Among Serie A defenders in the 2021-22 season, only Domenico Criscito (six) and Nahuel Molina (seven) of Genoa and Udinese respectively scored more goals 

The fee paid by Brentford eclipses the £13.5million splashed out to sign Kristoffer Ajer last year as they gear up for their second campaign of Premier League football.

"I am very pleased that we have managed to sign Aaron. What he has already achieved in his career is very impressive," Bees boss Thomas Frank said. 

"He is only 20 and has played a full season in Scotland as well as almost two seasons in Serie A.

"Aaron is a rare thing in modern football in that he is equally good with both feet. He is technically very sound and is good when he has the ball in tight areas. 

"He is an attacking full-back that has good creativity, he is a great crosser of the ball, and scored goals in Serie A last year."

Hickey becomes the first signing of the window for Brentford, who are also rumoured to be in the market for a new midfielder after Christian Eriksen's short-term contract expired at the end of last season.

Jurgen Klopp was never worried about the prospect of losing both Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah because it was "always clear" the latter would stay at Liverpool.

Mane's Liverpool future came into question towards the end of the season, with rumours suggesting he was ready to leave with one year left on his contract.

In the end, his €41million (£35.2m) transfer to Bayern Munich went through quite quickly in June after Liverpool secured the signing of Darwin Nunez from Benfica.

But Mane's decision to leave did, at the time, cause concern among Liverpool fans because Salah also had only 12 months to run on his contract.

Media speculation suggested contract talks with Salah had been dragging on for a while, but it was finally announced on July 1 that the Egypt star signed a new deal that runs until June 2025.

Despite the seemingly protracted nature of the negotiations, Klopp insists he was always fairly relaxed regarding Salah's future.

"I knew it would happen, it was always clear Mo wants to stay – that was always the message," Klopp told Liverpool's official website.

"I spoke to him obviously and it was always clear: 'I want to stay.' But it's an important contract, different things have to be considered and that's what takes time sometimes.

"We cannot always fulfil the expectations from the outside world – 'there's an ending contract, next year it will end, so sort it now.'

"Things need time, but we are obviously experienced enough to deal with these kind of things. He is very happy now that he can extend his time here.

"We are very happy, a world-class player. Imagine you have to sign Mo Salah now; he's in another club and you want a player with the numbers he created over the years. It's pretty much not possible, but we have him and he wants to stay – very good news."

Klopp was eager to pay tribute to Mane once again, however.

He lauded the Senegal star as one of the Premier League's greatest players and expressed his gratitude for the amicable nature of Mane's parting of ways with the Reds.

"Sadio, what can we say about Sadio, hey? What a player, a world-class player," he continued.

"He and we together reinvented him as a No.9 as well in the last season, which he played outstandingly well.

"I like the way [the transfer] happened now because it was completely clean. We knew, he told us, his agent told us, they wanted to leave, they wanted to have a new challenge, find a new club.

"[It's] never easy negotiations – it's all good until we talk about money, but that worked then really well.

"So, as well a Liverpool legend, one of the all-time Premier League greats, I would say, with the numbers he has. A fantastic person as well.

"So, really happy for him that he is now at the club where he wants to be. He is very thankful for all the things we did, and we are very thankful. Now he is at another club."

Liverpool will face rivals Manchester United in their first pre-season friendly on Monday in Bangkok, Thailand.

Manchester United have added yet another Ajax product to their wish-list for this transfer period, with 20-year-old striker Brian Brobbey emerging as a new target.

Brobbey came through the Ajax academy when Erik ten Hag was in charge and, after leaving to join RB Leipzig ahead of this past season, he was loaned back to Ajax in a successful move.

After returning to the Dutch giants, Brobbey scored seven goals in 11 Eredivisie fixtures, prompting the club to try and bring him back on a permanent deal.

TOP STORY – RED DEVILS SWOOP IN FOR HIGHLY RATED AJAX YOUNGSTER

Brobbey was widely expected to re-join the reigning Eredivisie champions for a fee in the neighbourhood of £13million.

However, the Times is reporting that Ten Hag has caught wind of the move and is hoping to instead coax the promising young striker to Old Trafford.

It is said the deal with Ajax was almost as good as done, so it remains to be seen if he could be convinced to change directions at the 11th hour, but the Times report includes that Ten Hag has been on the phone to Brobbey in an effort to sway him towards the Premier League.

United's interest in Brobbey follows moves for Ajax stars Lisandro Martinez and Antony, with a package-deal for the pair rumoured to be worth north of £100m.

ROUND-UP

– According to French publication Media Foot, Arsenal are showing interest in 24-year-old Lyon midfielder Lucas Paqueta, who is also linked with Newcastle United.

– The Mirror is reporting that Barcelona manager Xavi is keen to re-sign Ousmane Dembele to a new contract, but the club's sporting director Mateu Alemany would prefer a move for Leeds United's Raphinha.

– Everton are targeting 20-year-old Chelsea striker Armando Broja and 25-year-old Southampton full-back Kyle Walker-Peters, according to The Mirror.

– Fabrizio Romano claims Chelsea have reached personal terms with Manchester City centre-back Nathan Ake, although the final transfer fee, believed to be in the £40m range, is yet to be decided.

– Gazzetta dello Sport is reporting that West Ham are considering a £13m move for 23-year-old Roma forward Justin Kluivert, while Goal claims Villarreal winger Arnaut Danjuma told the Hammers he has no interest in moving there.

Perhaps taking a page out of legendary Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson's playbook, it is out with the old at Manchester City and in with the new in what has been a busy transfer window to date.

On the back of winning a fourth Premier League title in five seasons, City have waved goodbye to long-serving and reliable midfielder Fernandinho, while sanctioning the exits of forwards Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling – the latter's move to Chelsea expected to go through in the coming days.

It is undoubtedly a risk from City's perspective, not least with Jesus and Sterling joining fellow big-six clubs Arsenal and Chelsea respectively, but one the reigning English champions feel is worth taking as they freshen up their side.

Plenty of focus will undoubtedly be on new arrivals Erling Haaland, Julian Alvarez and Kalvin Phillips (sorry, Stefan Ortega), but Pep Guardiola will also need other squad members to step up in City's quest for more major honours.

That is a category Jack Grealish, now into his second season at the Etihad Stadium following last year's British record £100million transfer, fits into on the back of a rather mixed first 12 months or so in Manchester.

Unusually for such a big-money transfer, and for a player moving between clubs in the same league, Grealish was afforded a settling in period at City and occasionally went under the radar – right up until May's title celebrations, that is!

But with Sterling no longer around, the former Aston Villa star must now deliver if Guardiola's gamble is to pay off. Here, Stats Perform looks at exactly what Grealish offers to City, and the areas he can perhaps still improve.

GREALISH OVERLOOKED

Allowing Sterling to leave would not have been an easy decision for City, even if he did become more of a peripheral figure in his final 18 months or so at the club – coinciding with a 2-0 home loss to Manchester United in March 2021.

The versatile forward had started 70 per cent of City's games in all competitions between his debut and that loss to United, compared to 53 per cent of the Citizens' subsequent 77 matches.

He was named among the substitutes in both legs of the thrilling Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid, as well as the final-day showdown with Villa in the Premier League.

But rather tellingly, it was Sterling who Guardiola turned to from the bench in the first leg against Madrid, with Grealish playing a watching brief throughout, as was the case in that game against Villa when City were chasing three goals.

Put simply, Guardiola felt he had options better than Grealish when in need of goals. But with wide forwards Sterling and Jesus gone, that surely cannot be the case this season – unless, of course, the plan is to rely on Haaland up top.

THE STATS DON'T LIE

Grealish played 39 times for City in all competitions in his first season at the Etihad, 31 of those being starts, ranking him level with Riyad Mahrez (31 starts) and behind Sterling (32) and Phil Foden (36) in a similar area of the pitch. Jesus, incidentally, started just 28 games for City in 2021-22.

While that is a pretty telling statistic in its own right, Grealish's – let's face it – hugely underwhelming direct-goals involvement of just 10 in a high-scoring City side is what garnered the most attention when picking apart his first year under Guardiola.

Eight other City players directly contributed to more goals in all competitions last season, with Sterling registering 15 more combined goals and assists than Grealish. Mahrez, now well suited to playing in Guardiola's complex system, led the way with 33.

Grealish himself admitted midway through last season that he needed to play a bigger part in front of goal, but felt the statistics were not truly reflecting his performances in the final third.

"I think [stats] are important because at the end of the day that is what people look at such as how many goal involvements us attackers have. Especially when you come to a club with the price tag that I did," he said.

"If you don't get some [goals and assists] for a few games, everyone starts to talk. I think they are important but there will be times where you're playing well and the goals and assists just aren't coming. That's what I have felt recently. 

"In the Watford game the other day I could have scored about four or five and I came off the pitch with nothing. Even the Leeds game, we scored seven goals as well and I only got one."

In that Watford game mentioned by Grealish, the England international finished with an expected goals (xG) value of 0.83 in his 68 minutes on the pitch but could not find the net from any of his five efforts, three of which were on target. 

That compares to two goals from three shots for midfield team-mate Bernardo Silva from an xG of 0.28, with Sterling scoring City's other goal in that 3-1 Premier League win at Vicarage Road.

... OR DO THEY

That Watford game was very much a microcosm of Grealish's time at City to date, with the underlying figures backing up his previous point about his efforts perhaps not paying off. 

His four assists in 2021-22, for example, came from an expected assists (xA) return of 7.08 – that differential of 3.08 being the highest of any City player. Effectively, had his team-mates put away certain chances, Grealish's season would have had a slightly more positive spin.

Indeed, the 78 chances created by the 26-year-old last season was bettered only by Kevin De Bruyne (129) among City players in all competitions, though just 10 of those were defined as 'big chances' by Opta, which is the same number as central defender Aymeric Laporte.

This is by no means to say Grealish's shortcomings last season were down to those around him. If he is to truly thrive under Guardiola, though, the shackles will surely have to be released if the Grealish that lit up the Premier League with Villa is to be seen again.

The Grealish that plays with freedom and flair – the reason Guardiola pushed hard for the club to pay a nine-figure sum for the transfer, after all – was there to see for England in their recent Nations League games.

He made a huge impact down the left-hand side from the bench with England trailing against Germany, managing six touches in the opposition box despite playing just 18 minutes, which was double that of any England player other than Harry Kane (seven).

Grealish then played a part in the incident that led to England being awarded a penalty in which Kane converted to snatch a 1-1 draw. That is very much the difference-making cameo Guardiola did not see enough of last time out.

The good news for Grealish is that he may be afforded more opportunities to get at opponents now that City have a target man in Haaland to aim for. The slick passing moves will not be done away with, as such, but Haaland is completely different in stature to any player City had up top last season.

And after a whole year of working under Guardiola, including a first pre-season, Grealish will now be far more accustomed to the demands expected of him if he is to become a regular in the starting line-up.

"I am just trying to keep improving all of the time and I know for a fact that the longer I am here the more I will improve," he added in that interview seven months ago.

With the old guard gone, the time has now arrived for Grealish to prove he has what it takes to thrive under Guardiola.