Grealish rejoins Everton on loan from City with permanent move possible next summer

Jack Grealish has rejoined Everton on a season-long loan from Manchester City, with the 30-year-old set to link up again with David Moyes’ side ahead of a potential permanent departure from the Etihad next summer. The winger spent the second half of last season at Goodison Park before injury cut his stint short.

Grealish was enthusiastic about his return, saying: “It feels so good. I’m so happy. I think I’m at my best at everything in life, not just football, when I feel loved. That’s what the manager has given me, what my teammates have given me and especially what the fans have given me. Every time I see an Everton fan, it’s just pure love.”

He added: “I had a perfect time here for the first six months, then I stayed around after I got injured. I’ve been watching all the Everton games in pre-season and since the season started. Now I feel ready to go.”

Grealish could make his second Everton debut in the upcoming Premier League fixture against Manchester United. Sunderland had also expressed interest in the England international, but the winger had consistently prioritised a return to Merseyside if a deal could be arranged.

At City, Grealish came off the bench in the Community Shield defeat to Arsenal and in the league opener against Bournemouth, but was omitted entirely from the squad for the win at Crystal Palace. Manager Enzo Maresca, despite a strong personal relationship with the player, did not consider him part of his first-team plans.

Grealish joined City from Aston Villa in 2021 for £100 million and played a significant role in their Treble-winning season two years later, but has struggled to recapture that level of form since. With City not planning to offer him a new contract, he will leave as a free agent at the end of the campaign — six years after his record-breaking arrival.

Everton are considered the frontrunners to sign him on a permanent basis, given the bond the club and its supporters have developed with the player over the past year.