Everton wrap up bold loan move for Grealish

Everton have made their sixth signing of the 2025 close season by concluding a big-money loan transfer for Manchester City and England star, Jack Grealish.

Having been linked with a temporary switch to Bramley-Moore Dock all summer, the 29-year-old arrives on a season-long loan with the possibility of turning the deal into a £50m permanent move next year.

A £100m acquisition by City from his boyhood club, Aston Villa, four years ago, Grealish was a key component in Pep Guardiola's treble-winning team in 2022/23. However, he has become surplus to the Spaniard's requirements lately and after playing a bit part for the Manchester club last season with just seven league starts, he was left out of their squad that travelled to the United States for this summer's FIFA Club World Cup.

Effectively put up for sale for a reported £40m, Grealish hasn't attracted many suitors interested in a permanent deal but Everton have maintained their interest in a loan throughout the transfer window and were finally able to strike an agreement this week.

Under the terms of the deal, the Toffees will pay a sizeable proportion — suggestions in the media are as low as 50% — of the winger's reported £300,000-per-week salary for an estimated total outlay of around £12.5m.

"As soon as I spoke to the manager, I knew there was only one place that I wanted to go," Grealish told evertonfc.com. "On social media, I've been flooded with messages from Everton supporters, so there's that side of it as well and that's another reason why I chose Everton.

"I want to say thank you to the fans for all of the messages I've had already. Thank you for all of the love and support. I hope I can repay you now and I'm sure I will."

Grealish, who passed a successful medical in Newton-le-Willows on Monday and trained with his new team-mates for the first time today, follows Carlos Alcaraz, Thierno Barry, Mark Travers, Adam Aznou and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall through the doors at Finch Farm and injects unquestioned quality into David Moyes's team. He will wear the No.18 shirt.

The hope is that a player who appeared to have been stifled recently in Guardiola's rigid system can grab the opportunity to kickstart his stalling career at Hill Dickinson Stadium and battle his way back into the reckoning for England in a World Cup year.

"There is a reason for [choosing number 18],” the former Aston Villa man explained. "There were other numbers but my two favourite English players ever are Wayne Rooney and Paul Gascoigne and I know they both wore number 18 here.

"So, as soon as I knew this deal was close, I had a look and number 18 was free, so that was perfect for me and it was the only number I was going to take from that point.

"I spoke to Wayne before I came here and I mentioned that to him, about the number 18, so I hope he's happy as well!"