Man City Offload Grealish to Everton on Season-Long Loan

Just four years after Manchester City splashed a whopping £100 million to purchase Jack Grealish from Aston Villa, the club have allowed him to join Everton on a season-long loan. At the time of his move from Villa to City, Grealish appeared to have the world at his feet. He was featuring regularly for Gareth Southgate’s England and many had compared him to the great Paul Gascoigne for his ability to dance past defenders and create openings for his side.

Unfortunately for the man from Birmingham, his star didn’t continue to rise in Manchester. And despite several highlights under Pep Guardiola, there was always the sense that Grealish was never quite fulfilling his potential (or indeed repaying the hefty transfer fee!). But now David Moyes has given the player a lifeline and signed him up for a season that could be make-or-break for Grealish’s career.

If he grasps the opportunity and rediscovers his form, he could muscle his way back into the England team ahead of the 2026 World Cup. If not, he is likely to be sold at the end of the season to the highest bidder, no doubt at a fraction of the £100 million City paid for him.

Jack Grealish’s Career to Date

Born in September 1995, Grealish was picked up by Aston Villa when he was just six years old and worked his way through the youth ranks. Before he made his first team debut for the Villans, he was loaned out to League One side Notts County in 2013 and made his first professional appearance for them in September of that year. His first goal came for Notts County against Gillingham in a 3-1 victory in December 2013. He made a total of 39 appearances for the Magpies in all competitions, scoring five goals (all of which came in the league).

Upon his return to Villa, Grealish made a single appearance at the end of the 2013/14 campaign, coming on as a late substitute against his future employers, Manchester City. He developed well over the next couple of seasons, but unfortunately, the Villans were performing well below expectations, culminating in them getting relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2015/16. Grealish played in 16 league matches that season… and Villa lost them all!

Helping Villa Back to the Top Flight

In some ways, Villa’s relegation might have helped Grealish in his development as he gained more opportunities than he might have if they had remained in the top flight. In the 2016/17 campaign, he played 31 league games, the most since his time at Notts County. It didn’t help his side put themselves in contention for promotion, however, as they finished in 13th place.

Things improved for Villa (and hence Grealish) the following season and they finished fourth, although Grealish was out for much of the season after a clash with Watford’s Tom Cleverley resulted in a ruptured kidney for the 21-year-old Villa man. What’s more, unfortunately, his side lost to Fulham in the play-off final.

Grealish improved the following season, and, having signed a new five-year contract, he was appointed as the club captain from March to the end of the season. He led his side to promotion through the play-offs and was rewarded with the club captaincy on a permanent basis.

Grealish Shines and Earns England Call-Up and Big-Money Move

During the 2019/20 campaign, Grealish proved he had the skills and determination to perform in the Premier League. He became the focal point of Villa’s team and won plaudits aplenty. He also caught the attention of Gareth Southgate, who gave Grealish his first call-up at the start of the 2020/21 season. He made his debut for the Three Lions as a substitute in a 0-0 draw against Denmark in September 2021, and scored his first England goal a month later against minnows Andorra.

After impressing for England and his club, Man City were persuaded to part with the princely sum of £100m to sign Grealish in August 2021. It was the highest fee ever paid for an English player. He was handed the number 10 shirt at City, and hopes were high that he’d progress to become one of the best players in the world. Unfortunately, the Birmingham man found it difficult to adapt to life at City and didn’t quite live up to the hype (or the price tag).

Over the four seasons he’s spent at City, Grealish has made a total of 157 appearances in all competitions, scoring just 17 goals. He played in just 20 league games in both 2023/24 and 2024/25, with only seven starts last term, and it became increasingly obvious that he wasn’t Pep’s first choice in any position. And that’s when Everton swooped in.

Can Grealish Kickstart His Career at Everton?

Welcome to Everton, @JackGrealish! 🔵

— Everton (@Everton) August 12, 2025

Grealish has had one or two issues during his career in relation to discipline and perhaps his focus. So David Moyes could be the ideal manager to get him back on the straight and narrow and help him get his career back on track. Moyes has worked with plenty of talented players over the decades and though he takes no nonsense, he is an excellent man-manager who often gets the best from his players.

If Moyes can help Grealish return to anything like his best, there’s no doubt it will be good for both the player and Everton. Signs are positive given the enthusiasm the player showed for his new club at the press conference. He said, “I’m over the moon to have signed for Everton – it’s massive for me, honestly. This is a great club, with great fans. As soon as I spoke to the manager, I knew there was only one place that I wanted to go.” On one level, he was always going to say something like that, but he really appeared to mean it, and he clearly has the desire to prove himself and to do everything he can to get back into the England squad. Perhaps he just wasn’t a great fit at Man City, and even City fans who didn’t see the best of him will wish Grealish well at his new club. If her performs, he could become a hero at Everton … time will tell.