Everton are eyeing up a summer swoop for Manchester City’s record signing, Jack Grealish, which could lead to an interesting situation that manager David Moyes may need to monitor closely. Grealish, 29, joined Pep Guardiola’s squad in 2021 after City shelled out £100m to Aston Villa for the England international on a six-year deal.
However, the midfielder has struggled to live up to expectations and now finds himself surplus to requirements at the Etihad Stadium. The Toffees are keen on bringing Grealish to Hill Dickinson Stadium on loan, but it won’t be a cheap endeavour. City are eager to recover most of the player’s hefty £300,000-a-week salary, meaning any interested club would have to fork out nearly £12m to secure his services. Despite the financial commitment, Everton remain undeterred, although the rejuvenated Toffees are waiting to see how the transfer window develops before deciding whether to make a serious offer. Grealish is currently training with City and may yet stay at the Etihad as the Merseyside club ponder their next move.
Should the England international complete the switch, there could be a tense reunion between Grealish and at least one of his new team-mates. Back in December 2023, Grealish had a rocky start with some of Everton’s players, particularly after a challenging encounter with defender Nathan Patterson.
A tense moment was shared between the pair as Patterson refused to shake Grealish’s hand, instead opting to give him a shove and point a finger in his direction. At the end of the match, the City star aired his grievances to referee John Brooks and declined to shake hands with Michael Keane and James Tarkowski.
The ex-Villa player was visibly irate and had to be escorted towards the tunnel.
After finding it difficult to secure playing time at City last season, Grealish was advised by England manager Thomas Tuchel to seek a new club if he wishes to secure a spot in the German’s World Cup squad next summer. Regular game time will be key for the hopeful.
Tuchel stated: “So is he a player who can be available and have an impact in our squad? Yes – 100 per cent. But lately he simply has no rhythm, and he knows that himself. I think Jack gets better and better the more minutes he plays. He has the character to be the glue in a team, it is easy for youngsters to attach to him.”
A version of this article first appeared on the Mirror website