Grealish returns on hectic deadline day at Everton
Jack Grealish is back at Bramley-Moore Dock after the Blues finalised another loan agreement with Manchester City but a late move for Folarin Balogun collapsed when the striker had a change of heart.
Grealish spent last season on loan at Hill Dickinson Stadium and struck up an instant rapport with the Toffees, opting to remain with the club during his rehabilitation following foot surgery in January.
He underwent a medical and sealed his return to Everton once the necessary paperwork had been completed and was announced late this evening.
The winger was expected to be joined at Finch Farm by United States international striker Folarin Balogun after Everton agreed a deal with Monaco late last night worth €45m Euros, with up to €5m extra eventually due in add-ons.
However, the transfer stalled after Everton's medical staff took issue with certain elements of the player's medical. Balogun's move from the south of France to Merseyside looked to be back on after negotiations were restarted and an agreement was eventually reached between the two clubs.
A deal sheet was submitted to the Premier League allowing Everton an extra two hours beyond the deadline to complete the formalities but the player eventually left Finch Farm without signing a contract.
Meanwhile, Kenny Tete looked likely to finally become an Everton player over a year after he was first set to sign on a free transfer but that deal never materlialised as Fulham were unable to sign a replacement for the Dutchman. This time he was expected to cost the Blues around £9 million but the club pivoted to former Arsenal man Ainsley Maitland-Niles for £4.2m from Lyon.
The prospect of Richarlison returning to Everton receded over the course of the day but Iliman Ndiaye joined Manchester City in a £65m deal, Beto was unveiled as a Fiorentina player after he wrapped up a £15m transfer and Tim Iroegbunam joined Hull City in an initial £12m move.
Adam Aznou has joined Malaga on loan while Nathan Patterson signed for Torino for a reported £1m.
Reader Responses
Selected thoughts from readers01/09/2026 08:51:14
Could this be the day? One where all Evertonians will remember exactly where they were and what they were doing. The day Everton sign a right-back!
01/09/2026 09:06:03
Does such a thing even exist John? I'm doubtful. I've only ever seen one on that Match of the Day documentary.
Nathan Patterson on his way to Italy. Leaves us short on defenders but he wasn't getting a game. Makes sense to move him on, raise a little cash.
01/09/2026 09:21:34
It may not exist Kieran, Fulham have to get a replacement in today, before they sign off on the deal.
You couldn't make this stuff up!
01/09/2026 09:32:09
Two words John, Everton that.
01/09/2026 09:37:36
Incomings:
Grealish - big tick for a loan deal, especially with better, more mobile players around him (esp. Johnson and the likely new chap up top).
Balogun - not convinced. But hopefully he'll be better than I am expecting him to be. With him and Johnson we certainly won't lack pace and movement.
Tete - underwhelming but very cheap. Means we still need to sign a longer term RB of real quality in a future window. For the time being though, he could prove to be an astute signing.
Outgoings:
Patterson - about time.
Beto - thanks for the effort but we're better than that now.
Iroegbunam - never going to play given so many other options for our midfield.
Aznou - bit of a shame but he'll benefit from a loan. He should either come back better / more mature defensively - ready to either (a) genuinely compete as a starter or (b) be sold for a decent fee so we can move on to someone else.
Probably not happening?
Richarlison - I was pretty neutral about this. Not bothered either way, really. There were a number of "cons" along with a few "pros".
01/09/2026 10:57:11
Balogun, Nørgaard, Johnson this summer, George & KDH last summer - they’ve got a habit of pulling surprise, quality rabbits out of hats for us - therefore it wouldn’t, ironically, be a surprise to see a couple of fullbacks pop up today that haven’t really been on the radar.
Glad to see Patterson go, not good for morale having him moping around.
01/09/2026 11:52:25
Just read now, no idea if this is true.
As it stands now, TFG are on a net spend of zero since their arrival?
01/09/2026 12:04:36
John # 8 the actual figures (as of right now, confirmed deals) are:
2025/26: €129.75 minus €12.60
2026/27: €99.25m minus €25.80
That's €190.60 net spend across two summers. Not a lot, but better than breaking even.
No confirmed fees yet for today's likely incomings and outgoings (reported fees in media outlets are often distorted - e.g. they report a fee in euros as though it is pound sterling).
So not entirely sure what it will look like by the end of the day.
01/09/2026 12:06:34
As an aside, it is (I think) unprecedented just how many deals (big ones too) seem to be lined up across the market for the final day.
I can't remember a summer where pretty much ever club in the Premier League remains in frantic activity - and uncertain as to what the squad will look like tomorrow.
01/09/2026 12:26:10
Grealish’s return doesn’t inspire me with the same gusto, As his first arrival.
I don’t know how this will impact on Tyrique George, who is becoming such a bright Prospect.
That Balogun transfer had me mildly watering at the mouth, with the anticipation of seeing both of them in the same lineup.
01/09/2026 12:38:00
Copied from Sky:
Everton agree deal to sign Maitland-Niles
Exclusive from Sky Sports News' Mark McAdam:
Everton have agreed a deal with Lyon for Ainsley Maitland-Niles.
Sky Sports News understands the Toffees will pay a fee of £4.2m to sign the former England international.
The former Arsenal player is in the final year of his deal with the French club.
Everton previously tried to sign Maitland-Niles. The 29-year-old can play at full-back and in midfield.
01/09/2026 12:54:49
Thanks Robert.
If we sell Illy for reported 65 mil that's an overall spend of £10 mil.
Plus Balogun 38 mil.
Minus whatever we get in on Beto, Patterson, Tim, and whoever else goes it's near enough a zero net spend for this season?
01/09/2026 13:04:05
For the summer, that might be right Ian, yes - but I wouldn't start doing the sums until the transfers are done and reported on Transfermarkt!
01/09/2026 13:17:04
Ashley Maitland Niles. Bargain, versatile, huge PL experience a definite upgrade on Tete. Really happy with this. This is what holding your nerve gets you. We finally have a quality RB.
01/09/2026 13:22:41
Strange - it looks like they have been absolutely adamant that the new RB must:
(a) have Premier League (or British football) experience; and
(b) be really cheap!
We can compare / contrast performance against Norton-Cuffy who seems to be on his way to Hull.
01/09/2026 13:25:47
Mainland Niles have the price of Tete and younger.
Tim and Patterson's fees today will cover Niles and Norgaard and some of Grealish's loan fee.
N'Diaye's fee covers Balogun, George and some of Rohl and Hackney's fees. Beto's fee should cover most of the balance.
Gana Gueye leaving also mean his wages get thrown I to the pot.
Throw in the swap deal for Brennan and a decent window financially.
Players who weren't going to get a game have also left.
Still not enough cover in defence for my liking. But, with nine hours remaining in the window, you never know. The Maitland Niles deal came out of the blue.
01/09/2026 13:46:26
It’s a lot more complicated than working out a fagpacket net spend amount to see how much or how little TFG are investing in Everton - you’ve got to factor in amortisation, wages, agents fees et al, at the same time considering the fact that the increased HD revenues don’t hit the accounts until next year.
The way I look at it is - have we unloaded deadwood (Illy aside) and improved in nearly every part of the pitch? Undoubtedly. Do we have a better squad to compete for Europe? Yes. Do we have to worry about SCR limits? No. Get a LB in today and we’ve had a strong transfer window.
01/09/2026 14:21:33
John # 18, really good post. I think that is the right way to think about it too.
Obviously it would be great to have a much bigger kitty - but as things go we seem to have built a better squad at very low cost.
Listening to TalkSport earlier, they had a guy on explaining the new financial rules in both the Premier League and European competitions. I only caught the tail end of this but got the impression that there are different measures used - which means you can spend within Premier League limits but you've got a problem in Europe (and vice versa).
Someone else may better understand this!
Anyway, the impression he also gave was that a number of clubs are going to be in serious trouble - and may need to start selling off star players to balance the books. Villa and Newcastle have hit that point already. They won't be the last.
I think the main one at risk is Spurs. If they don't make the Champions League this season they could be in a real mess. For a club that appears to have just spent a fortune on the most expensive "nearly but not quite" players money can buy, that is going to be interesting watching.
So boring as it is to be frugal etc, it might also be the thing that makes sure we can be properly competitive in sooner rather than later.
01/09/2026 14:56:58
Robert, as daft as it sounds, part of me thinks the recklessness and disaster that was the Moshiri era was a good thing in ways.
Football clubs, like their fans, need to spend more time being grounded in reality. A phrase I've used alot in articles and posts is "what you want and what you need."
Not enough clubs seem to want or enjoy living within the constraints of reality. Clubs like us and Forest got a kicking under the PSR rules.
Villa and Newcastle have had to asset strop their squads this summer to avoid punishment. For all the spending, and CL appearances, they're not better off financial footing wise. Will they fo as well this season with suddenly depleted squads?
Everton learnt their lesson the hard way,in the extreme. We are spending in this window in a way that shows reality is king.
John's post made me think. How much of the cheque from the PL at the end of the season will disappear on paying transfer fee installments? Many clubs are heavily reliant on the PL monies to survive. The same could be said of the telly money. A spend now pay later philosophy can eat into revenue that's meant to keep many clubs afloat. 4m on Maitland Niles, a decent player, is sensible with this in mind. Getting 24m approximately for fringe players like Tim and Patterson, who have been replaced by better players for less money, is another example of sense, and reality.
I do think that even for the big Clubs, spending 80m, 100m, 120m, on players, isn't sustainable. It can't be.
01/09/2026 15:09:02
Robert, I would agree on Spurs. Their stadium is a huge cash cow, but the repayments on it must be huge as well.
At present, with their last two league seasons, commercial revenues can't be great, or else they will soon be negotiated downwards when up for renewal.
Their spending has just been ridiculous. Their stance on Richalison, given he doesn't want to be there, is daft.
01/09/2026 15:11:57
So Ndiaye goes to Man City, we get Graelish in return along with Balogun. That's the main thing for me, and I'd think most?
All this seems "fair" to me? I go back and forth as to whether we did the right thing?
I love Ndaiye. He's a magician and our best player. To only receive a talented, but aging Jack Graelish in return would, independently, be awful. But to now have a legitimate striker, which we desperately needed, makes this whole situation a positive I'd think?
We've identified a glaring weakness, solved the issue, did all this fiscally responsibly, and plugged the hole left by letting our best player leave.
I think this is good? And I'm thrilled with getting Balogun.
01/09/2026 16:08:13
Seems more like shuffling chairs than a progressive transfer window.It will be interesting to see Moyes's system and how the players will adapt.Moyes has to develop the younger players with potential that is clear.I worry that Grealish will be that bit slower.I am not that keen on Tete, so will be hoping for a better option.Balogun maybe a striker that can take a chance, which would be a big step forward.I did not fancy a Richarlison return.
01/09/2026 20:19:17
Patterson now gone on a free transfer to Torino, but with a 30% sell on clause apparently (presumably an anti-embarrassment clause in case he ever manages to get his act together).
Beto gone too for €18m / £15.40m.
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01/09/2026 08:36:50
New found love affair? Convenient for where he lives and no great interest from anywhere else, whats not to love.
It's a signing made of practicalities. Fading star or not, he was the best and easiest option at very short notice to replace N'Diaye.
I'm happy it's a loan signing, Hopefully his fitness levels mean he plays soon.
I would have been happy with Richarlison. A definite upgrade on what strikers we had. Hopefully something gets sorted out.