Why Everton want to keep Jack Grealish – and why they’re hopeful it could happen

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Jack Grealish was prone on one of the tables, encircled not by medical staff but members of the club’s Down’s Syndrome team. What followed was truly heartwarming. The group laughed and danced with Grealish watching — one did ‘the worm’ — in scenes later published online. Grealish, 30, always comes into his own in moments like this. His sister Hollie has cerebral palsy, a neurological condition that affects movement and posture, and he has a genuine interest in giving back. An affable personality, he has also plunged himself into community initiatives and regularly taken time to pose for pictures with fans. He does this unprompted and is generous with his time. In a broader sense, there is a feeling at Everton, according to sources who spoke anonymously to protect relationships, that his participation in moments like the above shows that he has embraced his time at the club and would be open to a second stint when his loan expires at the end of the season. The Athletic reported last week that Everton are keen to extend Grealish’s time on Merseyside. They are not expected to trigger the £50million ($66.3m) purchase option contained in the loan agreement with Manchester City, a price that seemed unrealistic even before he succumbed to the foot injury sustained in January that will see him miss the remainder of the campaign. Grealish is 31 in September and on a salary of around £300,000, with Everton subsidising around 75 per cent of that. The overall package for his season-long loan stands at around £12m, half of which covers a period where he has been on the treatment table. This summer, he enters the final year of his deal. These are not particularly favourable conditions for City as the selling club. There was a period early on at Everton where Grealish looked to have returned to something approaching his levels of old, and City’s hand appeared to have been strengthened. But the injury has created a different paradigm in which many other parties will be waiting to see how the England international recovers. As such, there will likely be an acceptance by all of those involved in the situation that a compromise will need to be found. Fresh negotiations are expected near the end of the season, with another loan deal and/or a renegotiated fee two potential options. Everton are expected to factor in his sizeable wage packet when assessing the transfer value of the player. It remains to be seen, of course, whether such terms would be agreeable to City, who will have factors of their own to consider, including their ongoing legal dispute with the Premier League and the need to adhere to future PSR/SCR regulations. Factoring in the £100m transfer fee that City paid to take him from boyhood club Aston Villa, transfer levies and projected agents’ fees, The Athletic’s football finance writer Chris Weatherspoon estimates that Grealish’s book value to City will be in the region of £16m-£21m this summer. Selling him for less would worsen their PSR position. Other clubs could also still come to the table — a fear at Everton during protracted talks last summer — while City might see how he recovers before deciding on next steps. But Everton are hopeful of having Grealish with them for pre-season and confident that an agreement can be struck. They are aware he has enjoyed his time at the club and working under manager David Moyes, with whom he shares a close bond. The Scot played a key role in bringing Grealish to Everton, ironically emphasising during talks the need to earn his place, and the attacking midfielder has spoken of the way in which his love for the game has been rekindled since the move. Grealish is largely adored by supporters, while he also quickly integrated into the dressing room and didn’t have to relocate from his Cheshire base, three other factors in Everton’s favour. It was telling that the 30-year-old opted to remain at Everton to complete his rehabilitation from foot surgery. Ordinarily, a loan player would return to their parent club for treatment, but there is a sense that Grealish is happy on Merseyside and keen to repay Everton for sticking by him. Spending time on the sidelines has always been difficult, so the additional care he has received is warming. According to those with knowledge of how Grealish has dealt with the situation, he was understandably down when he discovered the severity of his setback in January, not only because he was keen to impress in the Premier League, but also to keep the slim hopes of making England’s World Cup squad alive. Grealish has spoken with Thomas Tuchel previously and was targeting a strong second half of the season, but that opportunity was cruelly taken from him, leaving him needing time to come to terms with the disappointment. Beyond regaining full fitness in time for the start of pre-season, his priority behind the scenes since his injury has been helping with the club’s various community schemes. He has shared supportive posts on social media before, during and after games. Moyes’ side have missed him. As well as his eight goal involvements (two goals, six assists) in 20 games, he was also valued for his ability to hold onto possession and help the side get a foothold in games. He was their talisman, with play often geared towards him. The belief internally at Everton was that he had more to deliver and the best may still be to come, provided he makes a full recovery as expected from injury. Moyes had spoken publicly about Grealish’s dip in form prior to his January injury. Fluctuations in performance levels were seen as a near inevitability due to his previous lack of game time at City. By mid-January, he had already played nearly as many league minutes (1,632) as he had managed in the previous two seasons combined at the Etihad. That total was his highest since the 2022-23 campaign. Grealish missed a spell of the festive period in December because of what Everton described as “sickness”, but had started to show signs of form before his injury. That came as a crushing blow to both player and club, creating a sense that Grealish had unfinished business at Everton. There is still time for the picture to change, but he may yet get another chance to leave a lasting legacy on Merseyside. Additional reporting: Jordan Campbell Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Patrick Boyland has been The Athletic's Everton correspondent since 2019. Prior to joining the company, he worked for ESPN, Mail Online and press agency Sportsbeat, where he covered numerous major sporting events. Boyland's views on Everton have been sought out by local and national media, while he is also a regular on a number of podcasts focusing on the club. Follow him on Twitter: @Paddy_Boyland