jack-grealish-everton
It is not often that the Prime Minister dishes out transfer advice for your club, but that was the case for Everton earlier this month when he recommended a signing.
Andy Burnham recently said that he is "hoping" that winger Jack Grealish will return to the Hill Dickinson for at least one more season after his loan spell in the 2025/26 campaign.
Everton star Jack Grealish
He may get his wish before the end of the transfer window as it was reported last month that the Toffees have been in club-to-club talks with Manchester City over a deal for the forward.
However, there have been no updates since then and it remains to be seen if Enzo Maresca is willing to send the attacker out on loan or on a permanent basis.
Why Everton should not re-sign Jack Grealish
It is easy to understand why Burnham and the club are keen on a second deal for Grealish happening this summer, after he scored two goals and provided six assists in 20 appearances in the Premier League last term.
The England international showcased his quality on the left side of the attack for the Toffees, producing some magic moments early on in the campaign before sustaining an injury.
That injury is a cause for concern, however, because he has not played a single minute for Manchester City in pre-season and his last appearance for Everton came against Aston Villa in January.
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25/26 Premier League Jack Grealish
Appearances 20
xG 2.15
Goals 2
Big chances created 5
xA 3.57
Assists 6
Successful dribbles per game 1.2
Grealish, therefore, would arrive at the club with an injury that has been ongoing for almost seven months and with no pre-season under his belt, which means that it could take him a while to get up to speed.
Grealish
Instead of taking a risk on the former Aston Villa superstar's fitness, the Toffees could decide to look elsewhere in the market to bolster their attacking options.
Everton in talks to sign Jack Grealish upgrade
In fact, the Premier League side are already looking at another forward player from one of their rivals, and he would be an even better signing than Grealish.
Journalist Ben Jacobs claims that Everton are pursuing a deal to sign Bournemouth attacking midfielder Marcus Tavernier before the end of the summer transfer window.
The reporter reveals that the Toffees have made contact with the player and his representatives to open talks about a potential move to the Hill Dickinson in the coming weeks.
However, Jacobs states that David Moyes' side have yet to speak to Bournemouth about a deal, so this particular pursuit is still in the early stages.
Bournemouth's Marcus Tavernier in action with Southampton's Cameron Archer
The Cherries attacker, who was touted at a fee of £40m earlier this summer, would be a terrific addition to the squad and the club should make an approach to their rivals sooner rather than later.
Instead of pursuing a potential permanent deal for Grealish from Manchester City, the Toffees should forget about the England international and sign Tavernier instead.
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25/26 Premier League Tavernier Grealish
Appearances 34 20
Goals 7 2
Goals per game 0.2 0.1
Big chances created 9 5
xA 4.64 3.57
Assists 4 6
The 27-year-old attacker, who can play anywhere across the frontline, scored seven goals in the Premier League in the 2026/27 campaign for Bournemouth.
Grealish, meanwhile, has not reached seven goals in a season in the top-flight since he scored eight times for Aston Villa in the 2019/20 campaign, never scoring more than six goals in any of the last six seasons.
Jack Grealish and Everton manager David Moyes
This suggests that the Bournemouth star would have far more to offer to the Toffees as a goalscorer than Grealish would, providing a greater threat in front of goal in the Premier League.
Tavernier is more than just a goalscorer, though, because he also created nine 'big chances' for his teammates, although he was not as fortunate as the Everton loanee was with his teammates' finishing.
Grealish has not created more than five 'big chances' in a Premier League season since he created 12 for Manchester City in the 2022/23 campaign, which also suggests that the Cherries ace could offer more creativity in the final third.
Another reason why Tavernier could be an even better signing for Everton is that he is currently available, has been playing in pre-season, and has played more than 30 games in each of the last three seasons.
AFC Bournemouth's Marcus Tavernier shoots at goal
The Toffees, therefore, can forget about Grealish by signing the £40m-rated star because he has better availability and has the potential to offer more to the team as both a scorer and a creator of goals.
Everton midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall
Everton midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall