Everton have reportedly stepped up negotiations to sign Manchester City outcast Jack Grealish, as per Spanish outlet Fichajes.
After displaying impressive performances with Aston Villa, the Englishman moved to the Etihad Stadium for a big money back in 2021 to take the next step in his career.
He initially took time to settle down in the new surroundings but enjoyed a stellar 2022/23 campaign, helping his side win the treble. However, he failed to continue the momentum and has been on the periphery in the last two seasons.
He only started seven Premier League games last term. The Citizens are said to be open to offloading him this summer and are set to keep him out of their Club World Cup squad.
Now, Fichajes state that Everton see this as a market opportunity to strengthen the squad and have already stepped up negotiations to seal the deal
The Toffees are planning to bolster the squad to avoid fighting for relegation next season and feel Grealish would bring the necessary creativity to help with that.
Battle
However, the Merseyside club don’t have the financial resources to purchase him permanently; instead, they are looking to hire him on a loan deal with the Citizens covering a part of his salary.
The report claim that Everton aren’t the only club interested in the England international as Newcastle United are also plotting a swoop.
The 29-year-old was a talismanic figure for the Villans and had the luxury of expressing himself fully with the ball. However, he didn’t get that freedom under Pep Guardiola and played safe football, so he never managed to flourish in his career at Man City.
Grealish is comfortable playing on the left flank and in the CAM role. Moreover, he can be deployed in the box-to-box role in a midfield three.
Under Moyes, the Man City star might get the freedom to showcase his attributes, so Everton could be a very good destination for him.
The Merseyside club displayed encouraging signs of improvement under Moyes last season, indicating they may be heading in the right direction. So, Grealish might be tempted to move to Hill Dickinson Stadium.