EXCLUSIVE: Jack Grealish has "unfinished business" with Everton after last season's loan spell believes former Blues player Richard Dunne
Jack Grealish has “unfinished business” with Everton as Hill Dickinson Stadium chiefs explore ways of bringing the Manchester City loan star back next season.
Following a season-long loan move to Everton, which was announced on August 12 last year, Grealish received the first Premier League Player of the Month award of his career in the week of his 30th birthday after providing four assists in his first two starts.
He then followed that up with Hill Dickinson Stadium’s first stoppage-time winner in the 2-1 comeback victory over Crystal Palace and Everton’s first Premier League success over Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.
But after helping the Blues to arguably their best result of the season, a 1-0 triumph on January 18 back at Aston Villa, who had won their previous 11 home games and would go on to lift the Europa League, it was revealed that Grealish had suffered a major injury setback and he subsequently underwent surgery for a stress fracture in his left foot.
But the England international's love affair with Everton seemed to be continuing when video footage at the club’s end-of-season awards event showed him enjoying himself with friends while leading the singing of: “One more year Jackie Grealish, playing football the Everton way.”
As he steps up his recovery, the Brummie ace last week shared footage of himself on an exercise bike alongside Man City team-mate Kalvin Phillips.
Although incoming boss at the Etihad Stadium, Enzo Maresca has been tipped to offer Grealish a potential lifeline after he was deemed surplus to requirements under predecessor Pep Guardiola, he is still expected to be available if Everton want to do a deal.
And Richard Dunne believes the player, who turns 31 in September, has a lot to offer Moyes’ men.
The Dubliner, who made his debut for the Blues as a 17-year-old before going on to make 431 Premier League appearances throughout his career, moving in the opposite direction to Man City in 2000, told the ECHO: “He’s a ball carrier, he can get you up the pitch and wins free-kicks. If they can get him back and the deal is correct for Everton then I think he’s a really good signing.
“Jack might not be at the same level as he was a few years ago, but he was the first £100million player from England and he still has that talent. I think he showed that for Everton last season and we’d like to see it again next season.
“I think if you’re in a team that isn’t massively possession-based and you’re sitting back, trying to counter-attack against teams, Jack is great. If you’re under the cosh, you can give the ball to him and know that you’re going to get out because he’ll either carry it 60 yards up the pitch or win a free-kick and that’s invaluable.
“There are very few like him in the Premier League. I think a lot of teams try and progress by passing the ball through the pitch but he’s a player who can do all that work on his own with his dribbling.”
Speaking courtesy of Harry Kane World Cup 2026 goals, Dunne added: “It felt like it was unfinished business with Jack Grealish and Everton last season. He was doing so well and then getting the injury that ruled him out for the second half of the campaign was difficult.
“He’s taken a real liking to Everton and the Everton fans have taken a real liking to him. I think he’s one of those players in the Premier League who can make a difference.”
As reported by the ECHO’s Everton correspondent Joe Thomas on Saturday, Man City are keen to pursue a sale for Grealish while the Blues are expected to explore another loan move – though any development will also depend on the strength of his recovery from the stress fracture that ended his season prematurely.