The latest transfer news from BirminghamLive as former Aston Villa man Jack Grealish nears an exit from Manchester City
Manchester City's English midfielder #10 Jack Grealish celebrates scoring the team's first goal during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Leicester City at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on April 2, 2025. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)
Jack Grealish is on the brink of a move to Everton
Jack Grealish will don the No. 18 shirt made famous by Wayne Rooney and Paul Gascoigne when he completes his loan move from Manchester City to Everton.
That’s according to The Telegraph who say the 29-year-old is looking to take the number vacated by another former Aston Villa hero, Ashley Young after he left Goodison Park at the end of last season.
Grealish is on the brink of a seaosn-long loan deal to the Toffees, having had a medical on Monday and clearly being out of the picture with Pep Guardiola’s City.
And the report says he is not shying away from the burden of holding a number worn by Rooney when David Moyes first introduced him into the Everton team as a 16-year-old.
Gascoigne also had 18 during his two seasons at the club as he tried to recapture the magic of his star turn in the 1990 World Cup.
Grealish has previously spoken of his admiration for Gascoigne and Rooney – and he will hope to resuscitate his own career at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Grealish has had extensive success at City, winning three league titles and playing a key part in their 2023 treble winning season.
However, over the last two seasons the returns have diminished and last term he made only seven Premier League starts. He was left out of their final game of the season and was not part of the squad that went to the Club World Cup earlier this summer.
The boyhood Villa fan came through the youth set-up at Bodymoor Heath before going on to reach the first team, inspire Dean Smith ’s team to promotion after relegation and then lead them to Premier League stability before moving on. He has played 213 games for Villa and 157 for City.
There had been speculation he could return to Villa but that never seemed anything more than transfer market gossip. Grealish could face Villa in the fourth Premier League game of the season, on September 13 at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. The Toffees come to Villa Park on January 17.
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