Jack Grealish returns to Everton on season-long loan from Man City
Jack Grealish is returning to Everton on a season-long loan from Manchester City ahead of the transfer deadline, after Iliman Ndiaye’s high-profile departure forced manager David Moyes into a late attacking reshuffle.
Everton have secured a familiar face for their forward line just before the window slams shut, reaching an agreement in principle for Jack Grealish to spend a second season at Hill Dickinson Stadium, with a medical scheduled for Tuesday morning. The 30-year-old England international spent last term on loan with the Toffees under David Moyes, making 22 appearances and contributing two goals and six assists before a stress fracture in his foot cut short his campaign in January.
Despite that injury interruption, Grealish left a lasting impression on Merseyside and became a genuine favorite among Everton supporters, and Everton had stayed in contact with him throughout the summer even as Sunderland and Aston Villa also showed interest.
The Ndiaye Domino Effect and Financial Terms
Iliman Ndiaye heads to Manchester City in transfer worth up to $88 million
The move traces directly back to a high-value outgoing transaction in the Everton attack. Losing Ndiaye left a hole in the Everton attack that immediately triggered an effort to get Grealish back for another season, as Iliman Ndiaye is heading to Manchester City in a transfer reportedly worth up to $88 million (£65 million), leaving David Moyes needing a replacement fast.
Everton turned straight back to the club taking Ndiaye away from them, opening talks for Grealish within hours, structuring a temporary agreement with no loan fee attached to the deal. Everton are reportedly covering around 90% of Grealish’s wages — a substantial commitment given he earns close to £300,000 a week.
Crucially for the Toffees’ long-term planning, the agreement also includes an option for Everton to sign him permanently for $67.5 million (£50 million) next summer, when his City contract expires. Grealish joined City from Aston Villa in 2021 for a then-British-record $135 million (£100 million) and collected plenty of silverware under Pep Guardiola, but game time became increasingly hard to find in recent seasons.
Beating Sunderland to the Punch
Everton beat Sunderland to pursue winger in final hours of the window
Everton were not the only English side pursuing the winger in the final hours of the window. The Black Cats have made their move for the ex-England international, vying to sign the forward on a loan-to-buy deal.
That threat dissolved as Grealish made clear where he wanted to play, feeling Hill Dickinson is his preferred destination, which comes shortly after worrying interest from Sunderland. Sunderland are trying to sign Marseille left-wing Igor Paixao for over £20m, which would instantly put Grealish’s playing time at risk at the Stadium of Light.
Everton’s digital team even offered a playful nod to the impending announcement ahead of the game against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium to prepare for this weekend. The club chose to post a video of Grealish’s last-minute winner from last term, which the Birmingham-born star has liked the post himself, sharing it to his own Instagram story.
A Reshaped Attack on Merseyside
Jack Grealish arrives at Hill Dickinson Stadium for Tuesday’s deadline
Grealish arrives as part of a frantic flurry of late business at Hill Dickinson Stadium. In the final hours of the transfer window, as clubs across the Premier League and beyond scramble for last-minute deals, Everton have secured a familiar face.
For Grealish himself, the move provides an escape hatch from limited minutes at the Etihad Stadium, where a second loan to Everton let City clear space while giving the player exactly what he’s been missing: regular time on the pitch.
Jack Grealish stated via SME that he feels good and is happy, adding that in life, and not just in football, he is at his best when he feels loved, which is what the manager, his teammates, and especially the fans have given him.
With his medical formalities scheduled to wrap up within hours of Tuesday’s deadline, Grealish slots straight back into a squad that values his fast, ball-carrying winger qualities who draws fouls and opens space for teammates.
