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Archive June 6, 2025

Chaos as artists pull out of London festival over concerns of ‘art-washing’

Due to the undisclosed involvement of former MPs Tony Blair and David Cameron, musical acts like LVRA and Heartworms have withdrawn from the inaugural SXSW London festival.

The conference is taking place in Shoreditch from June 2 to June 7, 2025(Image: Getty Images for SXSW London)

Several music acts have withdrawn from the inaugural edition of SXSW London for allegedly hiding the involvement of controversial speakers from both the public and scheduled artists. LVRA, Sam Akpro and other artists are accusing the festival of “art-washing” after news that former Prime Ministers David Cameron and Tony Blair were part of the programme.

SXSW London 2025 marks the US event’s debut in Europe, running from June 2 to June 7 in Shoreditch. The week-long event includes talks, panel discussions, workshops and music performances with major politicians, entrepreneurs and artists including Dr. Jane Goodall, American-entrepreneur Lucy Guo, Sadiq Khan, Letitia Wright, Idris Elba, and many more.

Former prime ministers David Cameron and Tony Blair would speak at the event, untold by artists, according to journalist Matt Kennard’s leak of screenshots of an allegedly leaked programme via X last week. Despite the leak, organizers reportedly were “keen” for both talks to continue.

Image of Tony Blair at SXSW London
Blair spoke on the first day of the conference about AI and Government(Image: Getty Images for SXSW London)

READ MORE: What happens when headline artists drop out of a music festival at the last minute

Artists jasmine were in the news about Cameron and Blair’s involvement with the festival. Heartworms, Sam Akpro, Blood of Aza, Saliah, and LVRA all made it known that they would no longer play at the gathering. The latter claimed to have “art-washed” the organizers in a lengthy statement.

LVRA shared via Instagram: “Having spent the last several weeks in talks with the music team at SXSWL, I will be boycotting. This is also in solidarity with other acts who have already boycotted the festival.”

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The artist continued, “The conference team were booking speakers from various organizations deeply complicit in the current genocide of Palestinian people, while the music team were putting together a diverse, ‘cool’ line-up. Palantir, an IDF supplier of weapons technology, Barclays, and politicians like Tony Blair and David Cameron were among those involved. This qualifies as “art-washing.”

The event was then followed by a number of other negative comments, including “inaccessible pricing” that targets marginalized groups and an “exploitative business model.” After learning about Cameron and Blair’s planned involvement, LVRA confirmed some “productive conversations” that resulted in the removal of Palantir’s CTO and Barclays’ Head of Sponsorship, but they later announced their withdrawal.

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Due to the involvement of the prime ministers and Kate O’Brien, who is a member of the NATO Innovation Fund, Sam Akpro also announced his withdrawal in a statement. Akpro claimed in a statement that the festival was “using us smaller and minority artists to push ideologies and information that I do not align with.”

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Heartworms, who was scheduled to play Hoxton Hall on June 7, canceled her show and thanked fans for their understanding. “I won’t be performing at SXSW London this weekend for what I hope are fairly obvious reasons. I stand with those who have already done the same,” she said.

In a statement to NME, a SXSW London spokesperson said: “As one of the world’s largest festivals across tech, music and the creative industries, SXSW London respects everyone’s views and positions and aims to create an open, diverse space for debate and discussion.”

Image of Cameron at SXSW London
David Cameron spoke on June 3 in a panel entitled ‘A Healthcare Revolution’(Image: Getty Images for SXSW London)

Blair spoke at the conference’s opening day about how AI can make government’s better alongside Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Peter Kyle. Blair said it was an “enormous honour and pleasure” to share the stage with Kyle, saying the MP is “one of the people I admire most in politics”.

Blair made fun of Kyle by saying, “I hope that doesn’t hurt your political career too much, Pete.” David Cameron took the stage for a discussion titled “A Healthcare Revolution” on the second day of the conference.

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P Diddy trial LIVE: Ex reveals Combs’ ‘defensive and belittling’ behaviour over ‘hotel nights’

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ ex-girlfriend has returned to court today to resume her testimony for day 17 of the rapper’s lengthy trial.

At the Manhattan federal court, the anonymous ‘Jane Doe’ – a moniker assigned for her safety – yesterday spoke of her time with the media mogul and their “hotel nights”, in which he allegedly welcomed other men into their bed. She also claimed she was always offered drugs when she had sex with Combs. and that they took ecstasy, molly, cocaine, and ketamine.

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, 55, is currently facing a number of serious charges, including racketeering conspiracy, sex ­trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and transportation to engage in prostitution.

He was arrested in September and strongly denies all allegations made against him. He has been in prison since his arrest, and a number of bail requests have been rejected.

Jane’s attorney wants judge to help further protect her identity

Jane wanted to ‘get off the hamster wheel’

Jane asked Combs in a text: “Why do you lie to me?”

The comment was revealed during her testimony in which she described how Combs “embarked on a private vacation” with another woman after the ‘hotel night’ on her birthday.

When Combs responded, he said: “Because I didn’t feel like telling you what I was doing with her. You had your birthday and I didn’t tell her what I was doing with you.”

In a follow-up message, Jane wrote: “I’d like to get off the hamster wheel and do something different with you. I deserve it too.”

(Getty Images)

Jane felt heartbroken and ‘so cheap’ as Combs started new relationship

Jane claimed she felt ‘so cheap’ after the artist started dating another woman not long after participating in a “hotel night” on her birthday.

After finding out about Combs’ new relationship on social media, Jane said: “It was really heartbreaking for me because I felt that I saw this big grandiose birthday that he did for her versus the type of birthday that I just experienced with him.”

Jane reads texts sent to Combs

Jane read text messages she sent to the musician in November 2021. In them, she described feeling “mistreated” and needing “a breather.”

One read: “I felt mistreated that I was coming there to do a hotel night and when I leave he’s giving another woman this quality time that I was like begging for.”

Combs would get ‘defensive, belittling and dismissive’ if Jane said she wanted to stop

Jane claims she typically told Combs in texts that she wanted ‘hotel nights’ to stop.

Jane describes ‘health issues’ due to ‘hotel nights’

Jane claimed her shoulders and back would hurt during each ‘hotel night’ due to staying in certain positions for hours on end.

“That’s what my partner wanted to see,” she told the courtroom.

Combs became ‘super defensive’ after Jane ended ‘hotel nights’

Jane claimed she was left upset after what she thought would be a romantic night turned into another ‘hotel night’.

She told the courtroom that at the time: “I was bickering about just how I was done with this and I didn’t want to do this and like ‘Why every time I see you, this is happening.”

Rapper ‘recorded sexual encounters on his phone’

Sean Combs is said to have recorded ‘hotel nights’ encounters on his mobile phone, according to Jane.

She said he would record nearly every time she slept with another man in foront of him and said she was fine with it.

Combs paid men after sex with Jane, she says

Jane ‘rejected’ a man Combs asked to their hotel room

Jane has told the courtoom that she rejected having sex with a man Combs invited to their hotel room in a moment around 2023.

She says she told Combs she wasn’t attracted to him and couldn’t “fake” the situation. After reiterating the point to Combs at the time, she claimed his ‘demeanour was agitated’ but said he accepted it.

Jane then claimed they both excused the man before another man came to the hotel room.

Jane is back on the stand

With Judge Arun Subramanian back on the bench, Jane has returned to the stand.

Jury takes lunch break

The jury in the case has been dismissed for lunch.

Jane ‘immediately repulsed’ by other man at ‘hotel night’

Jane testified that a man at one ‘hotel night’ in 2021 left her feeling “immediately repulsed”.

She told the court that she felt hesitant in the moment, describing him as sweaty and tried to “make it work”.

However, she told the media mogul she wasn’t into it – which she claims led to him laying her down on the bed and having sex with her.

Jane on relationship timeline with Diddy

Jane testified that her freak-offs with Diddy happened weekly or every other week between May 2021 and October 2023.

She said that they went on a break from October 2023 until February 2024. Jane claimed that they got back together, but their sexual encounters were less frequent and only happened at Diddy’s Miami home.

Network of porn stars and prostitutes available for Diddy freak-offs

Jane testified that she didn’t want to have sex with other men as they were strangers to her. However, she said that she should be able to choose who she would be with. This led to her recruiting a porn star for the freak-offs.

She told the court: “I just said to myself, ‘if we’re going to be doing this I should just choose who was going to be on my body.'”

It was in late 2021 or early 2022 that Jane said that she chose the man while she and Diddy were watching porn videos of someone called ‘Sly’. She claims that Combs became flirtatious and asked Jane if she thought she could get Sly.

Jane claimed she began texting Sly after messaging him on Instagram, going on to have a FaceTime call with him and Diddy before booking him flight to come to LA for a ‘hotel night’.

She told the court that both she and Sly had been nervous the first time they met and that the first ‘hotel night’ was like their usual routine. Following that night, she organised for Sly to travel to LA, New York and Miami and that Combs would always pay.

Jane testified that Sly would be paid by Diddy – usually in cash – between $2,000 and $4,000 for each ‘hotel night’. She claimed she chose the adult star “because he felt like a safe option for me.”

(Getty Images)

Diddy’s chief of staff told Jane it was ‘safe and okay’ travelling with drugs, she claims

Jane told the court that she was told by Combs in 2022 to pick up drugs from one of his security at his LA home and fly with them to meet him in Miami.

She claimed to have spoken to Combs’ former chief of staff, Kristina Khorram, about the package. She tesfified: “I just asked her if this was safe and okay.”

Diddy would call assistant or security guard to bring him drugs, Jane claims

Jane has told the court that Diddy would call either a butler, security guard or an assistant to bring him drugs if he ran out of them during a ‘hotel night’.

Combs has animated conversation with lawyers as jury goes on break

Combs has been crowded by his legal team as court adjourned for a short break.

His lead attorney, Marc Agnifilo, alongside Brian Steele and Alexandra Shapiro surrounded him as Combs reportedly spoke “animatedly” as he gestured with his hands.

(AP)

Jane’s sad claim on why she took drugs during ‘hotel nights’

Jane told the court that she took drugs during the “hotel nights” because “didn’t want to feel like it was too real.”

Her voice broke as she testified that she wanted to “make things easier” but that she was “tired of doing that to [her] body” and tried not to use drugs on two different “hotel nights”.

However, she said: “The fantasy of it all wasn’t there. It just wasn’t easy. It just was too real that this was happening. I ended up asking for a pill.”

Jane claimed that during another night in October 2023 she wanted to get Combs sober, but he wanted to have “one last sobriety party”. During this time, he allegedly took ecstasy and cocaine while Jane said she didn’t take any drugs.

Jury break

Jane’s pleading message to Combs read to jury

Jane revealed she had spoken to Combs about wanting to stop having ‘hotel nights.

Reading aloud the message to the jury that she sent Combs in late 2023, Jane told the media mogul she wanted to go back to when they first started dating”.

She said: “I feel it’s the only reason you have me around and why you pay for the house,” she wrote. “I don’t want to feel obligated to perform these nights for you.”

Jane testified that she felt “obligated” at one point to perform those nights and that she was scared that he would stop paying for her house if she didn’t.

He had responded to the text: “Girl stop.”

An apparent supporter of Diddy has been banned from the court (AFP via Getty Images)

Diddy’s mum spotted entering courthouse

Janice Combs was spotted making her way inside court in a floral jumpsuit as she continues to support her son.

(AFP via Getty Images)

Jane says she cared for Diddy after ‘hotel nights,’ but masked her own deep sadness

According to Jane’s testimony, the routine after a “hotel night” with Sean “Diddy” Combs usually involved returning to his home together.

Once there, she said she took care of him – making sure he showered, preparing food, giving him a massage, and putting on one of his favorite TV shows.

“Then I would finally get to cuddle with him and sleep with him,” she said, her voice breaking as she grew emotional on the stand.

Jane said those moments felt comforting. “I would feel really happy to end my night with Sean,” she told the court.

Jane breaks down on stand as she recalls a traumatising ‘hotel night’ that lasted 18-hours

Jane grew emotional on the stand, sniffling as she recalled two occasions where she broke down crying after a “hotel night.”

The first time, she said, was early in her relationship with Sean “Diddy” Combs, during a stay at the Waldorf in Beverly Hills. She had believed they were going to have a private date night – just the two of them. But Combs told her an “entertainer” would be joining them, assuring her it would be brief. Instead, she testified, the encounter lasted 18 hours.

When it was over, Combs told her he had to leave. That’s when she began to cry. “I just went through all that and was feeling terrible that he was going to leave me alone,” she said.

According to Jane, Combs noticed her tears and asked if she was crying, looking at her with what she described as “disgust.” He then lit a cigarette, started playing music, and told her he would rearrange his plans.

Jane recalled another time she cried following a “hotel night,” though her memory of the event was fragmented due to being high on ecstasy. She remembered being at Combs’ house, then ending up at a hotel. At one point, she felt so overwhelmed that she hugged his butler.

“I just remember I’m having sex with Paul and then I remember being in the shower with Sean and I just started crying,” she said. Combs, she added, noticed and told her, “don’t do that right now,” explaining he was too high to deal with it. She said she stopped crying when he told her to.

During questioning, prosecutor Maurene Comey asked Jane who bore the brunt of the “hotel nights.”

Jane testifies Diddy denied condom use and filmed sex acts with other men during ‘hotel nights’

(Getty Images)

Jane testified that during multiple “hotel nights,” she asked Diddy if the men he instructed her to sleep with could use condoms. According to her, he typically brushed off the request.

One such incident was captured on video, which recorded a conversation between Jane, Combs, and a man named Don. In the footage, Jane could be heard asking Don to use protection – until Combs stepped in, clearly disapproving of the idea.

During questioning by prosecutor Maurene Comey, Jane was asked why she felt the need to get Combs’ permission for condom use. Her voice wavered as she replied that she was “still trying to process” that reality.

She explained that she didn’t push the issue, because upsetting Combs wasn’t an option. “Unhappy,” she said, is how he would be if she insisted.

‘He wants his freak’: Jane details alleged sexual demands by Diddy on Vegas trip

In her testimony, Jane recounted a trip she took to Las Vegas with Diddy sometime in 2023. According to her, she traveled aboard Combs’ private jet, and the pair spent what she described as a “hotel night” together.

During the proceedings, Jane confirmed that she had sexual relations with an “entertainer.” She elaborated on this term during her testimony, explaining that “entertainers” referred to various men she was instructed to sleep with at Combs’ request.

Jane returns to witness box

Diddy’s ex-girlfriend ‘Jane’ – who is using a psudonym to protect her identity – is back on the stand.

Day 17 RECAP

Diddy’s ex-girlfriend ‘Jane’ appeared in the witness box for the first time on Thursday. The beginning of her testimony came after that of Cassie Ventura’s friend Bryana Bongolan, who invoked her Fifth Amendment right not to self-incriminate.

Bongolan was cross-examined by the defense over her claims Diddy dangled her over a balcony for around 15 seconds. She previously told the court that she still has nightmares from the incident and is seeking $10million in her lawsuit against Diddy. Bongolan had also claimed that Diddy gave her drugs a few times.

When asked by the defense if she was lying, Bongolan insisted she testified truthfully during the case and said she acknowledged she didn’t recall every detail. However, in the closing the redirect examination, she said she had “no doubt” that Diddy held her over the balcony.

Prior to Jane’s appearance on the stand, Judge Arun Subramanian reprimanded Diddy for attempting to interact with the jury. “I could not have been any clearer in terms of what I said,” the judge told him. “Well, there was a line of questioning when your client was nodding vigorously and looking at the jury.” He was assured the behaviour wouldn’t continue.

Jane then took to the witness stand, claiming she was “head over heels” with Combs and that they were in an open relationship until his arrest. She told the court that Combs paid her rent, but suggested that he would stop if they split.

(AP)

‘David and Victoria Beckham’s spooky similarities to Charles and Camilla amid knighthood dream’

Sir David Beckham, arise! The nation’s golden boy and Golden Balls were finally granted a knighthood. Every day, our favorite football player appears more regal.

Becks has been working hard as an ambassador for the King’s Foundation since being photographed with the King and legendary gardener Alan Titchmarsh at the Royal Chelsea Flower Show a few weeks ago. He is already an OBE, and he even had a private dinner at Gloucestershire King Highgrove in February.

Becks was well-versed in the concept that all good things require effort and time. He waited over night to pay his respects to the late Queen (let’s pretend that we don’t forget). However, David’s devotion to the monarchy goes beyond just good photo ops and glad-handing. The Beckhams recently resembled the King and Queen in an odd way thanks to their long-dubbed celebrity status.

David Beckham’s ongoing plans for a knighthood are untold (Getty Images).

The large brood of Beckham once served as function personified, much like the House of Windsor. There are not many more. Like the King himself, David learned that things would never be the same again after his attractive boy, Brooklyn, and an American actress (use the term loosely).

Posh and Becks apparently dislike Nicola Peltz. And she doesn’t have much time for them. None of his father’s 50th birthday celebrations were attended by Brooklyn. (Also Harry sported a big cheerleader outfit for the coronation) Then, Romeo entered the fray with two brothers!

David and Victoria Beckham are set to become Sir and Lady Beckham, reports claim
According to reports (Getty Images), David and Victoria Beckham will change their names to Sir and Lady Beckham.

What has that previously been said? A dim son is being controlled by an ambitious American woman, with lots of sexist muttering. past-style decisions.

It’s no wonder Harry and Meghan have taken Montecito as their own young couple. They suit them so well. You can read ALL about it on Instagram, and one couple runs a hot sauce business, and the other sells jams. After all the Sussexes’ row with David and Victoria (presumably due to press leaks), the Californian friendship was only a matter of time.

Charles' fallout with Harry is widely known
The public is aware of Charles’ and Harry’s altercation (Getty Images).

The King must have been heartened when he saw Beloved Becks on his Birthday Honours List while he was still a child in the United Kingdom. David is a national hero, a big fan of the royals, and a struggling father, just like the king. He was first suggested for a knighthood in 2011 (blocked after he was implicated in a tax avoidance scheme for which he has since been cleared).

Poor David, his family’s problems are evidence that, while money may not always bring happiness, the titles will undoubtedly help to restore order.

Posh and Beck are said to have fallen out with Brooklyn and Nicola
According to WWD via Getty Images, Posh and Beck allegedly argued with Brooklyn and Nicola.

Victoria and David are Sir and Lady Beckhams from the moment, not some old Beckhams. Nicola and Brooklyn now have to work hard. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are not permitted to bestow titles, as I last checked.

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Georgia O’Connor was ‘shrugged off’ by doctors before dying of incurable cancer aged 25

Boxer Georgia O’Connor made a brutal rant against doctors that claimed she was “gaslit” and “shrugged off” by doctors just before her tragic death, aged 25.

GB boxer claimed doctors refused to test her months before “incurable” cancer diagnosis(Image: Instagram)

Georgia O’Connor, who died from cancer in May, said she spent months begging for help – only for her pain to be dismissed by doctors as “all in her head”.

The Durham-raised athlete was a Team GB representative and winner of the 2017 Commonwealth Youth gold. She died aged 25 after struggling with a “rare and aggressive” form of cancer labelled “incurable” by doctors.

In October of that year, Georgia was first informed of her diagnosis, which was a chronic inflammatory bowel disease (UC), and four months later, she married her husband, Adriano Cardinali. Her death, ironically, happened after only a fortnight of marriage.

Georgia and husband Adriano at bar/date night
Georgia’s passing occurred just two weeks after marrying ‘love of her life’ Adriano(Image: Instagram)

READ MORE: Georgia O’Connor dies just two weeks after boxer, 25, got married following cancer battle

Unfortunately, Georgia’s death followed a history of NHS dismissals, where the boxer was left “crying on the floor in agony” for help. In an Instagram post shared before her death, she listed the mistakes she claims were made by medical professionals, and accused them of knowing her strong likelihood of developing the disease.

On January 31, Georgia dropped the “cancer bomb” to her 44.5k Instagram followers before swiftly calling out the alleged injustice of her diagnosis. She opened up about being in “constant pain” since early October and having to travel between Durham and Newcastle RVI A&E.

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Georgia “felt it was cancer,” she said “deep down,” and she was aware of the seriousness of the situation right away. I was aware of the dangers. Colitis and PSC, two conditions that significantly increase your chances of getting them, are both present. They also know how high of a risk I am. They did it always.

Georgia in hospital wheelchair
Georgia also suffered from colitis and PSC – both known to “dramatically increase the chances of getting it”(Image: Instagram)

The late boxer continued, “But not one doctor f*****g listened to me,” which is heartbreaking. I was not taken seriously by any doctor. I begged for these scans and blood tests while agonizing on the floor with no doctor to perform them. The boxer claims she was “gaslit” and shrugged off after asking doctors to take her medical history and symptoms into account.

They gaslighted me, assured me it wasn’t something, and gave me the impression that I was overreacting. They turned down my scan request. They declined to look into the matter. They turned their back on the radio. One even claimed that it is “all in my head.”

She remarked, “They could have gone through this before it even started.” But that was not their choice. Because of this, the NHS is in a bad place, failing young people like me repeatedly, because of it.

Georgia, who was outraged and betrayed, described the shortcomings as “a system that makes people suffer, sends them home in agony, and allows cancer to spread while the thick, stupid, mindless “doctors” shrug their shoulders,” in a statement. Over 20 000 fans and industry professionals flooded the Georgian post with comments.

Continue reading the article.
Georgia in hospital bed
On her Instagram, Georgia had wrote: “I’m still smiling and that smile will NEVER fade, no matter what”.(Image: Instagram)

The Mirror reached out to Durham and Newcastle RVI A&E for comment. Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust shared a statement, saying: “We are very sorry to hear the news about Georgia’s death and offer our sincere condolences to the family. We appreciate this a very difficult time, but when and if the family want to raise any concerns with us, we’d urge them to get in touch”.

Coronation Street’s Maureen Lipman shares reason she may not marry soon despite engagement

Maureen Lipman, who plays Evelyn Plummer on Coronation Street, has revealed details about her romantic relationship with her fiancé, David Turner, but the couple may not get married until the year is up.

Coronation Street icon Maureen Lipman has opened up about her hesitations to walk down the aisle with her recent fiancé, despite announcing their engagement last year.

The actress, who was first in love with her late husband in 1974 with the award-winning actress in 1974, later expressed her dislike of marriage after her partner’s death in 2021.

Yet, it seems the Corrie star had a change of heart about romance after David Turner asked for her hand in marriage.

In a sincere interview with the Guardian, Dame Maureen reflected on what life has taught her, saying, “Life is trying to teach me to stop worrying about the bags under my eyes and concentrate on someone else.”

Maureen Lipman gave a candid interview where she discussed her relationship(Image: PA)

She expressed concern about their wedding, but she is unsure about how to focus on their relationship.

Continue reading the article.

She stated, “God knows how we’ll manage to have a wedding since David has 9, 000 cousins, and I’ve got four.” We might just have been married for a certain amount of time.

Beyond her personal revelations, Dame Maureen has cemented her status as a beloved figure in British entertainment, gracing both stage and screen in some of the nation’s most prestigious productions, reports Leicestershire Live.

Before joining the cast of Coronation Street as Evelyn Plummer in 2018, Dame Maureen was already a seasoned actress with roles in Doctor Who and The Pianist, and even earned a BAFTA nomination for her role as Trish in the beloved film Educating Rita.

Maureen Lipman
Maureen Lipman has appeared in a huge number of TV and film roles(Image: Getty Images)

This year marks her seventh year on the cobbles, but recently she announced a brief break from playing Tyrone Dobbs’ grandmother on the ITV soap.

Dame Maureen started out on the show in 2002 as a different character, but she quickly became a regular in 2018.

Continue reading the article.

Evelyn made the courageous choice to return to school to study law last year, according to viewers.

She informed her friends and family on the street that she would be moving to live in student residences because she wanted to fully immerse herself in the university lifestyle.

Where next for Grealish if he leaves Man City as expected?

Images courtesy of Getty
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In his first interview since joining Manchester City in 2021, Jack Grealish remarked, “It’s a dream come true to be a part of this club.”

It’s fair to say that City’s dreams had come true since City paid a record fee of £100 million to bring in England’s midfielder from Aston Villa.

Grealish has won three Premier League titles since then, and he was instrumental in City’s Treble victory in his second season there.

However, his experience in Manchester has become more of a nightmare over the past two years.

Grealish has only made 17 Premier League starts in two seasons, with a lack of minutes cost him a spot in England’s Euro 2024 squad, a combination of injuries and subpar performances.

Grealish was a unused substitute on ten occasions during the second half of the campaign as the dethroned champions City endured their worst season under Pep Guardiola, which saw them struggle to earn a Champions League spot.

The ideal moment to end one’s journey

Since having a mixed debut season in sky blue, Grealish’s future at City has never really been resolved.

In his third season, he appeared a shadow of himself, despite the critics’ disapproval.

After missing out on City’s matchday squad for their final, must-win Premier League game, Grealish’s fourth campaign came to an end.

Grealish’s time is running out, given City’s interest in playmaker Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders’ signing.

Both parties have acknowledged that it is time to step down, and the England international is likely to be left out of City’s squad for the Fifa Club World Cup in the United States later this month.

Both Grealish and the City board still respect him for his approach and popularity within the squad as well as his playmaking ability.

However, there is now consensus that this is the right time to move forward, especially given Guardiola’s declaration that he wants a smaller squad for the following term.

Grealish and Grealish are in agreement. He thinks it would be best for him to concentrate on his future and sign with a new club after a difficult season both indoors and away.

Where might Grealish go next with two more years on his contract, that raises a possibility.

The player has a choice, but he also has preferences.

Grealish prefers a permanent new home and a break from the past, as Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford did last season.

City would approve a loan, but they’d rather sell to avoid paying Grealish’s wages and recover a portion of the $100m investment. They accept that their payment for him will not be as good as it was.

Given that former clubs Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle, Everton, and former club Villa have all been linked with him, Grealish would of course be willing to stay in the Premier League.

He wants to continue playing at the highest level that Newcastle and Spurs can offer next season, ideally in the Champions League.

Grealish also said moving to the continent is possible, noting that Napoli, Barcelona, AC Milan, and AC Milan are all mentioned, though the former’s initial interest has since waned. Inter Milan and Borussia Dortmund both appear to be viable options.

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Moves may be dictated by financial constraints.

Finances remain the main challenge, with City and Grealish on the same page regarding a departure. Compromission will be necessary.

Few clubs in the world of football would be able to match the £300,000 earned by Grealish per week at City.

The two Premier League clubs that could potentially sign the 29-year-old are undoubtedly Manchester United and Liverpool, but neither one of them are interested in him.

Could there be a financial agreement between Manchester City and Grealish to make way for an exit if the pair choose to stay together until 2027?

A permanent stay at the boyhood club Villa is unlikely, even if Grealish received a significant pay cut.

Since missing out on Champions League football, Villa are focused on lowering their wage bill over the summer rather than increasing it, with their wage ratio of 91% in 2024.

Despite being a former Villa fan favorite, it is still unclear whether or not he is the type of player that Unai Emery wants him to be.

Newcastle would likely be the best option in terms of wage capacity, even though they don’t have a lot of profit and sustainability rules (PSR) headroom to play with when paying a transfer fee. However, a cut would still be necessary.

Spurs have long been linked with Grealish, but the over £330 million in unpaid transfer fees that are due this summer could stymie their summer investment.

Everton would have to pay Grealish’s current wage, once more.

It would be difficult for AC Milan and Napoli to sign Grealish’s former City team-mate Kevin de Bruyne on a free transfer in order to meet his wage demands while Barcelona’s interest has waned because of their financial problems and focus on other recruitment issues.

This brings us to the loan scenario, which is probably the most likely choice for either party. This would likely result in City paying a sizable portion of his wages or paying a sizable loan amount, giving those mentioned above the opportunity to strike a deal off the rails.

Perhaps a suitor could afford to pay him a sizable sign-on fee in exchange for a drop in his wages if City decided to take a significant hit on the £100m they paid for Grealish four years ago.

Saudi Arabia may be the only option if Grealish wants to keep or even raise his current salary.

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