Everton want Jack Grealish back. Whether that actually happens has almost nothing to do with Everton at all; it comes down to a decision Manchester City hasn't made yet. A £50 million option to make his loan permanent has already been ruled out.
That leaves City holding all the leverage over what happens next, not the club that actually wants him.
Why Everton Won't Trigger Jack Grealish's Buy Option
Grealish joined Everton on loan last summer after losing his place in City's starting lineup. He started 18 Premier League matches for Everton, recording six assists and two goals before a broken foot ended his season early.
David Moyes has confirmed Everton will not trigger the £50m option to sign Grealish permanently. Instead, reports suggest Everton are offering somewhere between £5m and £10m, a fraction of City's original figure, with finances at the club tighter than fans might expect.
Moyes said last month that "finances will obviously play a big part" in Everton's business this summer, while insisting Grealish remains "incredibly well liked inside and outside the building."
That decision removed the simplest route back to Everton for Grealish. It didn't end Everton's interest in signing him some other way.
How Enzo Maresca Could Shape Grealish's Future
New head coach Enzo Maresca, replacing Pep Guardiola this summer, has reportedly told people inside the club he's open to keeping Grealish rather than pushing through an exit. This complicates Everton's plan.
Both clubs see a second loan as the most realistic outcome, but that only happens if City decide they don't need Grealish for the coming season. Attention will now turn to Man City's pre-season tour of Asia.
Grealish's inclusion, or omission, from the travelling squad is expected to offer a clearer picture of where he stands in Enzo Maresca's plans. Clubs in the Saudi Pro League and MLS have also enquired about signing him.
Grealish, however, has told people close to him that he wants to stay in English football for now.
What Young Footballers Can Learn From Jack Grealish's Situation
There's a version of this story that's really about form and fitness, and there's a version that's about what happens once a manager who signed you leaves the building entirely. Grealish's struggles at City started well before Maresca took charge.
Guardiola left him out of City's Club World Cup squad and had drastically reduced his playing time in the season leading up to his loan move to Everton.
Young wingers should pay attention to this pattern. Grealish performed well at Aston Villa and also maintained his excellence at Everton under different managers, but struggled for minutes at City under Guardiola specifically.
Grealish's career is also a reminder that talent alone is not always enough. A player's success often depends on how well his qualities fit a manager's tactical approach, and Guardiola never appeared to see Grealish as central to his system.
Grealish chose to keep competing for his place rather than take an easier contract elsewhere. That decision says more about handling a stalled career than any transfer fee attached to his name.
