Moyes stays tight-lipped on Grealish return as Everton target fresh signings

David Moyes declined to be drawn on a potential return for Jack Grealish at his pre-match press conference ahead of Everton’s trip to Bournemouth, insisting it would be wrong to single out a player who remains under contract at Manchester City.

Grealish has reportedly identified Everton as his preferred destination should City decide he is surplus to requirements before the transfer window closes. The 29-year-old spent last season on loan at Hill Dickinson Stadium, registering two goals and six assists in 20 Premier League appearances before a broken foot cut his stay short in February.

“We are in the recruitment business and we are looking to see if we can bring some players in if possible,” Moyes said. “But there’s no guarantee and to name one person would be wrong. Jack’s not at our club. He was brilliant for us, a great boy, but not for us to talk about because he’s at another club.”

Grealish is in the final year of his City contract and has attracted interest from several clubs, with Sunderland and his boyhood club Aston Villa also reportedly in the frame.

Moyes was equally guarded on reports linking midfielder Illiman Ndiaye with a move to City, stating: “We’re certainly not in a hurry to sell our best players, that’s for sure.”

On the fitness front, James Garner could push for a starting berth after coming through the midweek Carabao Cup win over Preston, though Tim Iroegbunam remains unavailable.

Everton have made an encouraging start to the season, defeating Crystal Palace in the Premier League before seeing off Preston in the cup, and Moyes is eager to build on a record that saw the club rank seventh for away points during the 2025/26 campaign.

“We hope that we can follow it up and do as well as we did last year away from home,” he said. “We always travelled with a great away support and they got some really good days last year.”

After Saturday’s fixture at Bournemouth, Everton return to Hill Dickinson Stadium to host Manchester United the following weekend.