David Moyes knew there was a strong chance Jack Grealish would become an Everton player around a month ago. The club had started the summer with a long ‘to-do’ list.
One of the priorities was to build a side fit for the new era it is entering - a considerable challenge given the amount of player turnover that would follow, and the weakness of the foundations a new-look backroom team was attempting to build on.
There was also the small matter of navigating the myriad contracts that were due to expire and ensuring every call - from letting Dominic Calvert-Lewin leave to retaining Michael Keane - was carefully considered. But throughout those talks, one eye was on who would replace the outgoing players. The club’s gaze was drawn to Grealish early.
The 29-year-old has not failed at Manchester City. His £100m price tag was almost impossible to live up to but three Premier League titles and a key role in a treble-winning side is a serious return on investment.
The attacking midfielder started the Champions League final against Inter Milan and played every minute at the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey.
A lot of money was spent on a lot of players as Man City chased the crown that moved from being a dream to a necessity for the project embarked upon at the Etihad. Grealish was one of the few who made it happen.
His fall from Pep Guardiola’s thinking nevertheless felt harsh. After a season on the periphery, when he was left at home as the club travelled to the USA for the Club World Cup, it was clear his future lay elsewhere.
Moyes watched a handful of games in that tournament while on holiday in Miami. By the time he returned to the States a month later as Everton participated in the Premier League’s Summer Series event, his knowledge of Grealish’s availability was furnished with the awareness the player was open to joining him on Merseyside.
Recalling the move toward one of the highest-profile deals of the summer thus far, the Blues boss explained: “I’ve known for a month or so that I felt as if I would get Jack Grealish, or had a chance if we could get the right financial deal, because I knew he wanted to come. That was a good point for me.”
A package - for the player and his club - needed to be finalised but Moyes knew the desire from his target was there. This was a mission that continued in the background to other work to strengthen his squad but adds an interesting layer to his comments while in the US on pre-season, many of which pointed to a frustration at the lack of recruitment achieved at that stage. It is also of note that the plan to sign Grealish was in motion even while Everton moved for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, another landmark signing and a player who can occupy similar positions.
Upon the club’s return at the start of August, it still took time for an agreement to be reached with Man City - the creative struggle in the final pre-season friendly match with Roma a final catalyst for intent to get the deal over the line. It was done within days.
The move may be on loan but it does not come without risk. The club has paid no loan fee and will cover part of, not all, of Grealish’s significant wages. In total it will still cost Everton around £12m at a time when it can be argued there may be more pressing areas of the squad to deal with.
But Moyes believes it is a move that adds gloss to his project. He has spent his eight months since his return stressing the club has to act with ambition to achieve its goals. This is putting that advice into practice.
Moyes did not speak to Guardiola about what went wrong for Grealish under his tutelage. He did his research though, explaining: “I’ve tried to get as much information as I can.
“I think we are all seeing there is a Jack Grealish who played for Aston Villa, there’s one who played for Manchester City, one we’ve seen playing for England and along the line there he is playing for arguably the best manager in the world.”
Chief in Moyes’ mind is the belief there are multiple strands to Grealish’s potential to transform his side. There is the undoubted ability of one of the most gifted playmakers of his generation. There is the idea his star may enable the club to stick to the quality threshold they are trying to hold firm to as they target more signings in the final weeks of the transfer window. There is the thought that his profile is such that it will reduce pressure on his team-mates.
Another selling point for Moyes is that Grealish has something to prove. The player wants to show he still has the quality that made him so popular and his target is a return to the England squad for the World Cup next summer. He must stay fit, play games and perform to achieve that.
Moyes is convinced the player wants this opportunity - and has the evidence of Grealish taking a pay cut to secure the move to back that up.
Detailing his thought process at Finch Farm ahead of the season opener at Leeds United, he said: “The knowledge that he thinks he’s got a little bit to prove and to stand up [was important]. I’ve had to do that myself personally. I’ve had to come back from being knocked down.
“Sometimes you have to have that resilience to bounce back, to fight back and to show everybody. I just sense that Jack is carrying that with him now. I hope it shows through this season because, if it does, then we’ll get a lot of good things from Jack if he does.”
Grealish’s desire to perform is not in question. As the media prepared for confirmation he had joined Everton, which came at 4.30pm on Tuesday, Grealish was already putting in the hard yards at Finch Farm with his new team-mates.
His medical took him beyond 10pm the night before but there he was, laughing with Idrissa Gueye and taking part in running drills with Dewsbury-Hall.
Everton worked hard to make Grealish feel welcome. There was no stuffiness as he was taken for a tour of the stunning new Hill Dickinson Stadium. He was there on business - as the glossy promotional images released upon news of his deal showcased.
But his family were invited and allowed to step onto the freshly laid turf of their new home while Grealish's name was, literally, lit up in lights on the giant scoreboard.
While Everton sought to welcome Grealish, the player has worked hard to make time for the supporters, staff and players he has met since his arrival.
There were selfies with fans before he had even completed his medical and he referenced with glee their messages of support in his first comments as a Blues player. While aware of his profile, there has been no complacency or arrogance, with multiple club staff remarking how friendly he had been through his open days.
That has extended to his new team-mates, who also have a sense of excitement at Grealish’s arrival. Among them is Carlos Alcaraz, who already sees him as a potential mentor.
He said: “He is a great guy. In the short time he has been here, he has had time for everyone, chatted to everyone and tried to get to know everyone. He is a really good guy.
“We knew he is a good player and I knew that before because I played against him. We have all seen him on TV. We have seen his quality. I think he can bring a lot to the club as a player.”
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Alcaraz is an attacking midfielder who counts Grealish as an inspiration. For Grealish, his own inspiration has also worn the Royal Blue of Everton - Wayne Rooney.
While doing his homework on the club before finalising the move, Grealish went for dinner with the former England great, who inspired his choice to take the number 18 shirt.
Offering a glimpse inside their talks, Rooney told his new BBC show: "I went for dinner and saw him - we spoke about the number 18 shirt. He said there was eight and 18 available and he said he remembered Paul Gascoigne took it and then I took it.
"He took that and it is great and I spoke about the values of the club. Everton is a club where the fans expect and demand hard work from the players. There is no doubt Jack will do that but then he has the quality on top of that which will make him a fans' favourite."
A favourite with the players and the supporters already, it is now Grealish’s time to take his chance by showing what he can do on the pitch - he is expected to be involved at Elland Road on Monday night.
At Everton, for all the excitement there is an understanding that the flourish offered by Grealish could be undermined if more business is not completed before the start of September, with the right side of the team a concern in defence and attack.
But Moyes hopes the arrival of Grealish will add some shine to a year that will be challenging but which, after years of crisis and turmoil, should at least allow for Blues supporters to have some fun as the club moves forward.
He said: “I think the club have done brilliantly to build a new stadium. It has taken years to happen but they’ve got there eventually and done it. I think now there has to be a building of a football club back inside it, to get it back to where it was and more importantly to get the team back to where it was. Or closer to where it should be.
“We are a long way off at the moment. I don’t think we can do that in this window and make the team what we want it to be, but we are going to need people along the journey to make it more exciting and make people want to come and play.
“Whether that is through high-profile players or our league position or how we are playing and our performances, we are needing some of them to give us a lift now.”