Jack Grealish to Everton: Every twist in the transfer saga explained – Updated

• Grealish’s Everton future has generated fresh speculation every week since May
• Reports have ranged from Everton confidence to Manchester City uncertainty
• Multiple journalists and outlets have offered contrasting updates on the deal

If you’ve lost track of the Jack Grealish-to-Everton-permanently saga, don’t worry. There is a decent chance most Evertonians are feeling the same.

I say permanently … another loan has been mentioned. *sigh

Since the start of May, this story has produced enough twists, contradictions and fresh developments to fill a transfer window on its own. One report suggests a permanent move is gathering momentum. The next claims Man City could have second thoughts. Then another emerges, insisting David Moyes remains very keen. Then Jack pops up on Insta … and on we go.

So, in the interests of sanity and to help supporters keep up, Read Everton has gone back through the story from the beginning.

May 3: The first signs the story was not going away

One of the earliest indications came when former Premier League scout Mick Brown of Football Insider suggested Everton remained interested in keeping Grealish despite concerns surrounding injuries and finances.

At that point, a permanent deal still felt ambitious – but it was no longer being dismissed. For supporters, it was the first sign that Grealish’s future could become one of the major talking points of the summer.

May 11: The £50m obstacle emerges

The next significant development came when it was reported that Everton were unlikely to activate the £50m purchase option attached to Grealish’s loan agreement.

That didn’t mean a deal was dead – it meant Everton’s preference would be to negotiate different terms with Manchester City rather than walk away entirely. The first reminder, for supporters, that it would come down to money … as ever.

May 18: Moyes makes his feelings clear

Several Everton outlets reported that Moyes was enthusiastic about the possibility of keeping Grealish. That mattered at the time because the conversation shifted from whether Everton could afford him to whether the manager genuinely wanted him as part of his plans. And he clearly does.

After helping Everton to a mid-table finish – even though his season ended in January – Moyes reportedly saw Grealish as someone key in bringing creativity and experience to his squad in the long-term.

May 27: Manchester City complicate things

Just when optimism was building, Football Insider reported that incoming City boss Enzo Maresca wanted to talk with Grealish before any final decision was made.

Up until then, the assumption had largely been that City would be willing sellers. Suddenly, there was uncertainty – and Everton’s hopes depended not only on finances, but on what a new manager thought about the player.

Late May: Romano adds a note of caution

Fabrizio Romano (of course, he had to chirp up) reinforced the idea that City remained the key decision-makers in the process, suggesting they had not reached a final decision on Grealish’s future. For Evertonians hoping for a quick resolution, it was not what they wanted to hear. Alas, Romano was right.

Early June: Grealish wants to stay

Reports from The Hard Tackle then added another layer. The outlet claimed Grealish would be open to remaining at Everton after enjoying his football again under Moyes – arguably the most encouraging update supporters had received.

Transfer negotiations tend to become considerably easier when the player himself is pointing in the ‘right’ direction.

June 7: The Finch Farm Insta detectives

Evertonians spotted images suggesting Grealish had been training at Finch Farm despite his future remaining unresolved. Whether it meant anything concrete was still open to interpretation – but it generated another wave of speculation and ensured the story stayed in the headlines.

The Maresca U-turn that changed the picture

Then came the development that genuinely moved things on. The iPaper reported on June 4 that Maresca – despite his earlier interest in holding talks with Grealish – is now unlikely to stand in the player’s way if he wants to leave.

The fear, when Maresca’s appointment was announced, was that a new manager might complicate everything by wanting to assess his inherited squad before sanctioning departures. That complication appears to have been removed.

Following that came the clearest signal yet from Grealish himself. Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke reported that the player remains firmly keen on a permanent move to Everton despite Maresca offering him a lifeline at the Etihad.

Grealish was reportedly prepared to hear what City’s new manager has to say – but his preference is still to leave. At 30, with regular football the priority, he has no appetite for another season on the fringes of a squad being rebuilt without him.

June 17: Grealish takes to Instagram to drop the ultimate hint

We have seen (and listed) plenty of speculation, but this day brought the clearest signal yet from the man himself. Taking to his official Instagram account, Grealish shared a new update directly from Finch Farm, showing him continuing his rehabilitation work on the grass and in the gym.

And his words:

Ahhh man can’t even explain how good this felt! … Back on the grass today! Best feeling ever man. Time to get ready!

This is a significant development for the timeline. His loan agreement technically expires at the end of the month, and usually, a player recovering from a broken bone in his foot would be entirely under the supervision of his parent club’s medical team.

The fact that he is dedicating his off-season to putting the hard yards in under the watch of Everton’s physios must be telling, right?

Why would Grealish be at Finch Farm if he didn’t think a permanent move was close? It suggests that contract talks behind the scenes are in the final stages.

Where things stand right now

The loan expires June 30. Everton want him for around £20m. The Athletic value him at somewhere between £16m and £21m, which puts both numbers in the same postcode. City are no longer blocking anything. The fee should be doable. The wages – reportedly £300,000 a week at City – will need to come down significantly, and that is the conversation that needs to happen. But for the first time across this entire saga, all three parties are facing the same direction.

Eight days left. Get it done!

Updated by Gary Gowers — 22 June 2026, 8:35am