Everton great Alan Stubbs has revealed he tried to persuade Jack Grealish to join the club on a night out on holiday.
The Manchester City forward has been heavily linked with a move to Merseyside, with the Toffees in early talks to sign him.
Jack Grealish was the subject of an Everton transfer plea during a recent summer holiday
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Jack Grealish was the subject of an Everton transfer plea during a recent summer holidayCredit: INSTAGRAM @jackgrealish
Grealish is understood to have accepted his career at the Etihad is over, after seeing his role gradually reduced since joining in 2021.
He joined from Aston Villa for a British record £100million, but was left out of their squad for the Club World Cup.
This attracted the attention of a number of clubs, with West Ham initially expressing an interest before Everton opened talks over a loan move with an option to buy.
Tottenham have also been keen on the England international, as well as Serie A champions Napoli.
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But David Moyes' side will have to shell out if they are to land Grealish, with talkSPORT reporting that City have demanded any club taking him on will have to cover his £300,000-a-week wages in full.
And Stubbs would certainly urge the Toffees to break the bank for the Englishman, having already done his best this summer to convince him of to head to the new Hill Dickinson Stadium.
In fact, he may even have got the ball rolling over a potential move, after trying to tap up Grealish while on holiday in Marbella.
The ex-Everton defender told talkSPORT Breakfast: “To be honest, I had a night out with Jack in the summer over in Marbella.
“I tried my best to get him to Everton. I was telling him how much he'd be loved.
"He'd be an idol at Everton, the fans would really take to him."
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - AUGUST 03: David Moyes, Head Coach of Everton, looks on after the Premier League Summer Series match between Manchester United and Everton FC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on August 03, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by AJ Reynolds/Getty Images)
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David Moyes is looking to make Grealish his fifth summer signingCredit: Getty
Alan Stubbs made 192 appearances for Everton across two spells at Goodison Park, before managing their Under-21s side
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Alan Stubbs made 192 appearances for Everton across two spells at Goodison Park, before managing their Under-21s side
Would Everton be good for Grealish?
Stubbs insisted Everton is the right club for Grealish to revive his career, who has struggled to rediscover the form which saw him become a highly sought-after prospect at Villa.
The 29-year-old has won three Premier League titles with the Citizens, as well as the Champions League in 2023, but endured a tough time of things last year.
He made just 32 appearances across all competitions for City in the 2024/25 campaign, with only 16 of those being starts.
Alarmingly, just seven came in the Premier League, and he registered a total of only eight attacking contributions all season.
Stubbs continued: “I just think from an Everton point of view, Jack Grealish needs to be loved again. I think he needs to start enjoying his football.
“And that's not to say anything about Man City, what he's done - he's gone there he's won titles, he's won trophies, but he's not been the same Jack Grealish that we've seen at Villa, where he had the freedom to go and be himself.
Grealish found it tough during the 2024/25 campaign
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Grealish found it tough during the 2024/25 campaign
“And I think David Moyes would give him that.
“I think he'd absolutely relish it at Everton, I really do. And I think we all want to see that Jack Grealish.
“Even if you're a fan of any club, you'd all want to see the real quality players do well. And I think Jack Grealish has really gone off the boil in the last year, and it's a shame to see.”