Everton block Armstrong's £40m Forest move and close in on permanent Grealish deal

Everton have pulled Harrison Armstrong out of a potential £40m move to Nottingham Forest and are closing in on a permanent deal to bring Jack Grealish back to the club, with talks progressing with Manchester City.

Forest had been pursuing the 19-year-old midfielder, but Everton supporters made their opposition unmistakably clear during Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Bournemouth, warning the club there would be a “riot on their hands” if Armstrong was sold. Manager David Moyes reinforced the message, stating publicly that the club could not afford to let their best players leave.

Grealish spent last season on loan at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium and made an immediate impression, winning the Premier League’s player-of-the-month award in August before injury cut his campaign short in September. The 30-year-old has entered the final year of his contract at the Etihad Stadium, and a return to Everton would effectively end his time at Manchester City.

City signed Grealish for a then-club record £100m in 2021, and he was part of the squad that won the Treble in 2023, but his influence at the club diminished significantly over the two seasons that followed.

Alongside the Grealish pursuit, Everton are also working to bring Richarlison back from Tottenham Hotspur, giving the club two potential attacking additions before the window closes.

Not all of the transfer news is inbound, however. Iliman Ndiaye is moving closer to joining Tottenham, meaning Everton are managing simultaneous arrivals and departures as Moyes reshapes his squad.