In the past, we have seen players move from Manchester City to Chelsea and vice versa, with mixed results. Cole Palmer has become the face of the Blues, and arguably of English football, since leaving Pep Guardiola's side in the summer of 2023. On the other hand, the move for Raheem Sterling clearly ended up being a mistake for the Stamford Bridge outfit.
On the other hand, Mateo Kovacic swapped the royal blue of Chelsea for the sky blue of Manchester City. And if you want to look a bit further in the past, Shaun Wright-Phillips made the same move in 2008, although in his case, it was a return to his boyhood club.
It looks like another Manchester City player had caught the eye of Chelsea. They did not end up making the move though, before he joined Everton in the summer. And he is proving to be a superstar for the Merseyside club.
As reported by The Chelsea Chronicle, journalist Simon Phillips has claimed on Si Phillips Talks Chelsea that the Blues looked at signing Jack Grealish on a couple of occasions. They “seriously considered it”.
Chelsea seriously considered signing £100m Manchester City player
Ultimately, the move did not end up happening though. And perhaps that is a decision that the Blues are regretting already.
Grealish could have been a solid addition to this Chelsea team. They are missing a bit of inspiration at the moment without Cole Palmer, who has struggled with a groin injury since before the Club World Cup. Facundo Buonanotte has filled in decently in the absence of the Englishman but the gap in quality is quite clearly evident.
Grealish never really thrived at Manchester City, although he did play his part, especially in their Champions League-winning campaign. He is the type of player who needs a bit of freedom, which he might not have gotten in Guardiola's system.