Manchester City substitutes Jack Grealish and John Stones (r) look on from the bench during the Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final match between Manchester City and Newcastle United at Etihad Stadium on March 16, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)placeholder image
Manchester City substitutes Jack Grealish and John Stones (r) look on from the bench during the Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final match between Manchester City and Newcastle United at Etihad Stadium on March 16, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Everton have been linked with a move for Man City winger Jack Grealish in the summer transfer window.
Pep Guardiola says that he wants ‘the best’ for Jack Grealish ahead of a likely exit from Manchester City this summer.
Grealish’s time at the Etihad Stadium appears to have come to a conclusion. The winger moved to City for £100 million from Aston Villa in 2021 and played a key role in the team that won the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup in the 2022-23 season.
However, Grealish has fallen down the pecking order recently. He was omitted from England’s squad for Euro 2024 and started only seven Premier League games last term. The 29-year-old was also an unused substitute in the FA Cup final defeat to Crystal Palace and was left out of City’s 27-man set-up for the Club World Cup.
What’s been said
Grealish is expected to move on, with Everton among the clubs who have been linked. Speaking at the Club World Cup, Guardiola said on Grealish: “I’ve said many times, the guys who have been together for many years, always I wish them the best. I want the best for Jack, for his partner, and his kids and family – I want the best. I don’t know what’s going to happen right now.
“I don’t have any doubts about the quality of Jack [Grealish], the quality has always been there! The year of the Treble that we won, without him it would not have been possible. He’s a top, top, top player.
“But the players compete between each other and last season [Jeremy] Doku was incredible in many games, and Savinho made a step up in his first season, and the only reason he didn’t play minutes was me, not because he was incorrect or whatever. At the end, every season is every season and they have to compete with each other, and the players this season have to do it.”
Will Everton sign Jack Grealish?
Everton are set for a busy summer in terms of recruitment, with 10 players from last season’s squad leaving. The Toffees are currently short of wide options after Jack Harrison and Jesper Lindstrom’s respective loan deals from Leeds United and Napoli expired.
Grealish has Premier League experience in abundance and is a top talent when at his best. In addition, he will have eyes on winning a spot in England’s squad for the 2026 World Cup.
However, there is no denying that Grealish’s wages could proved a sticking point. He reportedly earns £300,000 per week at City, which Everton would not be able to afford. Even paying one-third of Grealish’s current pay packet would mean an outlay of £5 million in addition to a potential loan fee that City may demand.
Grealish has also been linked with the likes of Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, as well as Serie A champions Napoli.
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