Former England international Gareth Barry has advised Jack Grealish, currently linked with a potential move to Napoli, to consider staying in the Premier League and joining Everton as a strategic step to revitalize his career.
Grealish appears to be out of favour with Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, evident from his exclusion from the Club World Cup squad earlier this summer.
Napoli`s Pursuit of a Winger Continues
Speculation regarding a transfer to Stadio Maradona intensified after the England international spent part of his summer holidays on the Amalfi Coast, near Naples. This region is close to where Napoli`s new coach, Antonio Conte, is reportedly eager to bring in another winger to bolster his squad.
The latest report from Gazzetta dello Sport indicates that Grealish is Napoli`s primary transfer target for the wing position, although Federico Chiesa and Raheem Sterling are also reportedly on the Partenopei`s radar.
Despite Napoli`s apparent interest, Barry, a former England teammate, firmly believes Grealish would be better off remaining in England and joining Everton to reignite his professional trajectory.
Notably, Barry himself made a similar career move over ten years ago, transitioning from Manchester City to Everton.
Barry`s Rationale for an Everton Move
“If I were in Jack`s position, I`d be wanting to go out there and prove everyone wrong,” Barry stated, as quoted by Liverpool Echo. “People are starting to write him off a little bit. He`ll be thinking he can still get in the England squad if he can play regular football, and that`s exactly what I`d be thinking. So, for me, Everton would be a good move.”
Meanwhile, Napoli has already been active in the transfer market this summer, completing six new signings, including Dutch winger Noa Lang and Italian centre-forward Lorenzo Lucca.