Jack Grealish is poised to complete a shocking loan move from Manchester City to Everton, making two significant sacrifices in his quest to revive his faltering career. The £100 million winger has abandoned his desire for a permanent transfer and accepted he will not play in the Champions League this season, as the BBC reports.
The 29-year-old playmaker has seen his stock plummet at Manchester City since his record-breaking transfer from Aston Villa in 2021. Pep Guardiola approved his departure after struggling to give him minutes in the final months of last season, with Grealish making just seven Premier League starts as City ended the campaign without a major trophy.
Financial sacrifice for career revival
The loan switch to Everton could cost the Merseyside club over £10 million once fees and wages are accounted for, as The Mirror reports. The Independent confirms that Grealish currently earns £300,000 per week at Manchester City, making this move a significant financial commitment for the Toffees.
Neither Newcastle nor Tottenham, two clubs previously linked with the England international, came forward with concrete offers. This forced Grealish to reassess his priorities and accept a move away from European competition to Everton's new state-of-the-art Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Guardiola's honest assessment
Guardiola addressed his player's situation with characteristic candour at the end of last season. "It's not [only] Jack. There is not one player in my locker room, and I think all the locker rooms around the world, that is happy [when they] do not play," he said.
"When the team is winning and winning they have to figure out how everything happens - but they are not happy. They are here to play and, when they don't play, they are not satisfied. That is the normal position in all the clubs."
England hopes drive decision
Grealish's primary motivation for joining Everton centres on impressing new England manager Thomas Tuchel and earning a recall to the national squad. The winger was "heartbroken" after missing out on England's Euro 2024 squad and sees this move as crucial for putting himself back in the shop window.
David Moyes' track record of reviving players' careers played a crucial role in Grealish's decision, with The Independent drawing comparisons to Steven Pienaar's successful transformation at Goodison Park. The move represents a chance for Grealish to rediscover the form that made him England's most expensive player.
Underwhelming City statistics
Grealish's time at Manchester City has produced modest returns, with The Independent reporting just 12 league goals and 12 assists across four seasons. Despite winning three Premier League titles, the Champions League and the FA Cup during his time at City, his individual performances failed to justify his record transfer fee.
Guardiola's tactical evolution has seen the Spanish manager sign Jeremy Doku, Omar Marmoush, and Rayan Cherki as different attacking profiles, as The Independent reports. His exclusion from City's Club World Cup squad in the USA underlined his decline in the pecking order at the Etihad Stadium.
Sources used: "PA Media", "The Mirror", "The Independent", "BBC" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
