Jack Grealish is back at Goodison Park — or rather, the Hill Dickinson Stadium — for a second successive season, as Everton confirmed a fresh season-long loan deal with Manchester City on transfer deadline day. The move brings the 30-year-old England international back into David Moyes’ fold for the 2026-27 Premier League campaign, extending a partnership that began just over a year ago and was cut short by injury.
From Treble Winner to Loanee, Twice Over
Grealish’s path to Everton has been a story of a career recalibrating. Signed by Manchester City from Aston Villa in 2021 for a then British-record £100 million, he went on to make 159 appearances for the club, scoring 17 goals and winning seven major trophies, including three Premier League titles, the FA Cup, and the Champions League as part of City’s historic 2022-23 Treble.
But his influence at the Etihad waned steadily over the past two seasons. Falling out of favour under Pep Guardiola, Grealish found himself frozen out of matchday squads, left out of City’s Club World Cup plans, and starved of the regular football he needed to stay sharp — and to keep his England ambitions alive.
That search for consistent minutes first took him to Everton last August, on an initial season-long loan that included a £50 million option to buy. The early signs were promising: Grealish picked up four assists in his opening two starts and won the Premier League’s Player of the Month award for August. Across the season he made 20 league appearances, scoring twice and registering six assists, before a foot injury in January ended his campaign prematurely — and with it, any realistic hope of forcing his way into England’s World Cup squad.
Why Everton, Again
Despite reported interest from elsewhere, including a reported approach from his old club Aston Villa, Grealish’s preference to return to Merseyside was clear from early in the transfer window. Moyes has long been an admirer of the winger, and the mutual affection between player and fanbase appears to have been decisive.
“It feels so good. I’m so happy,” Grealish told Everton’s in-house media following the move, explaining that he plays his best when he feels supported. He pointed to the reception he’d received from fans since his debut against Leeds United the previous season as a lasting factor in his decision to run it back for another year.
The deal was completed as part of a flurry of late deadline-day activity at Goodison Park. Grealish became Everton’s sixth summer signing, arriving on the same day Iliman Ndiaye departed in the opposite direction, joining City in a deal worth an initial £60-65 million. Forward Beto also left Merseyside, joining Serie A side Fiorentina after a nine-goal Premier League season.
What It Means for Both Clubs
For Manchester City, the loan effectively draws a line under Grealish’s Etihad career. With just one year left on his contract, a permanent free departure next summer now looks the most likely outcome — a quiet ending for a player once billed as one of the most exciting attacking talents in the Premier League.
For Everton, it’s a case of doubling down on a partnership that, injury aside, worked. Moyes’ side have started the new season in solid form, opening with a win over Crystal Palace before drawing with Bournemouth, leaving them seventh in the table. Grealish’s return gives them a proven Premier League performer with a point to prove — and, at 30, arguably a narrowing window to show he still belongs at the top of the English game.
Whether this second loan spell ends in a permanent move, a return to City’s bench, or something else entirely, Everton fans have made their feelings clear: for now, Jack Grealish is exactly where he wants to be.
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