City have not closed the door on a sale outright and would still consider offers later in the window given Grealish is entering his contract's final year. Still, the club's position has clearly eased since Maresca's arrival, with the head coach wanting his own read on the player before any exit gets the green light.
What looked like a near-certain departure not long ago has turned into a genuine second chance under Maresca – though Everton, and possibly other clubs, haven't stepped back from the race just yet. A verdict on where Grealish ends up isn't expected until late in the transfer window.