Jack Grealish is understood to be open to a loan move to Everton, with the club stepping up efforts to bring the England international to Hill Dickinson Stadium.
The i Paper reported last month that Grealish was a priority target for the Toffees, with initial discussions having given them encouragement that the player was keen to explore the transfer.
And after further club-to-club talks between Everton and Manchester City, it now feels like there is a realistic route to a season-long loan deal which would give Grealish a showcase to make his case for a World Cup squad place while offering the Toffees a marquee signing for their new stadium.
There remains plenty of work to be done on the deal but Everton have not been put off by the prospect of covering the majority of Grealish’s £300,000-a-week wages.
Grealish made just seven Premier League starts last season (Photo: Getty)
The i Paper understands the structure of the agreement is still subject to negotiations but Everton would be willing to commit around £12m to the transfer.
Having initially been minded to stay and fight for his place, Grealish now knows that he is not part of Pep Guardiola’s plans for next season.
There has been some interest from Fenerbahce and Napoli but in terms of Premier League suitors, Everton are the club that have made most of the running.
The 29-year-old has a contract until 2027 and City would prefer a permanent deal but are realistic about the prospect of that happening given Grealish’s age and lack of first team football last season.
The possibility of including an option to make the loan move permanent has not been discounted.
Although a move that would capture the imagination, it would also represent something of a gamble from both parties.
Everton are entering a new era under David Moyes and while there is optimism about the Friedkin Group’s long-term plans for the club, a huge overhaul of personnel means there is uncertainty about their on-field targets.
For Everton, it is considerable financial commitment for a player who made just seven starts in the Premier League last season.
Moyes certainly needs new additions.
Everton brokered a £28m move for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall last week and he made an impressive start in the Toffees’ defeat to Roma at the final test event for the new ground.
But there remain glaring issues that need to be solved in the transfer market, not least on the right side, where Everton have seen two bids rejected for Southampton’s Tyler Dibling.
The winger was left out of Southampton’s opening day Championship game against Wrexham but at the moment there is a wide gap between what Everton want to pay and what the Saints are looking for.
Southampton are looking for an overall package worth around £50m – around £10m more than Everton have been willing to pay so far.
But there is hope that progress can be made in the next week, with the player understood to be keen on the move.