The quiet corridors of Finch Farm have turned into a hive of transfer activity as Everton push to land Jack Grealish on loan from Manchester City.
According to The Times reporter Paul Joyce, talks have gathered pace as Everton weigh up the cost of taking on a player whose weekly wages stand at £300,000 [$403,470], a figure City hope to recover almost in full over the course of a season-long loan worth around £12m [$16m].
For David Moyes, the appeal of bringing in Grealish to add spark and creativity to a team that struggled to find ideas in the final third last season, is a crucial driving factor.
Grealish, who turns 30 next month has been reportedly told he will not be a regular starter at the Etihad Stadium this year – as show by his omission from City’s travelling squad for the FIFA Club World Cup in the USA.
The midfielder’s game time at Etihad has gradually declined since his influential role in City’s treble-winning season of 2022/23.
Everton reportedly believe that with consistent football and a defined role, Grealish can rediscover the form that once made him one of the most dangerous attackers in England, ahead of the all-important FIFA World Cup next summer.
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There is a quiet hope inside the club that negotiations have reached a stage where both sides are working to a common goal.
What did Pep Guardiola say about Jack Grealish’s future?
At the end of thee 2024/25 campaign, Guardiola offered rare update on Grealish’s situation, revealing how the decision for the winger to skip the Club World Cup came after ‘honest’ talks.
“He had a conversation between him and the club and they decided it was best to stay behind.
“Jack is an exceptional player. The only reason why he didn’t play last season is of course my decisions. We decide that he has to play. The club was honest, he was honest.”
Guardiola added the former Aston Villa captain must recapture the drive that defined his earlier career.
“We decided the best is to have a place that he can feel like he can come back to be the player he was in the year of the treble or all his career in Aston Villa.
“The fact is in the last two seasons he didn’t play much minutes. He has to come back to play and have the butterflies in his stomach that he can play every three days and show again the quality he has.”
Man City sealed a 3-0 win at Palmero in their sole preseason game on August 9 – with Grealish not involved – ahead of a Premier League opener at Wolves on August 16.
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