Everton have not closed the door on Jack Grealish, with CEO Angus Kinnear revealing the club has remained in contact with the Manchester City forward following his injury-hit loan spell at Goodison Park.
Grealish joined Everton on loan last season and made 22 appearances before a foot injury brought his campaign to an early end.
The setback proved costly for the England international, who subsequently missed out on contention for the national team’s World Cup squad.
Despite the disappointment, Grealish’s relationship with Everton appears to have survived his premature departure.
Now back at Manchester City, the 30-year-old featured in the Community Shield at the weekend, coming on at half-time in the defeat to Arsenal.
Kinnear confirmed Everton have maintained contact with the player.
“Jack is a player we’ve remained in contact with,” Everton CEO Angus Kinnear told BBC Radio Merseyside.
“It was no secret that he decided to have his rehabilitation done here for the remainder of last season when he didn’t have to do that.
“He’s a player who’s fallen in love with the right shade of blue but ultimately he’s a Manchester City player at the moment and we need to respect that.
“The most important thing is he’s back. He had a very serious injury, he’s worked really hard to get back from that.”
Grealish’s decision to continue his rehabilitation in Merseyside after his loan spell ended underlined the bond he had developed with the club and its supporters.
However, any potential return would depend heavily on Manchester City’s plans for the winger and Everton’s ability to structure a deal that works financially.
For now, Grealish remains a City player, leaving Everton to focus on other pressing transfer business.
The Toffees are also facing a major problem at right-back ahead of their Premier League opener against Crystal Palace.
Everton have been searching for a long-term replacement for Seamus Coleman for more than a year but have yet to secure their preferred target.
Centre-back Jake O’Brien and midfielders James Garner and Merlin Rohl have filled the position during the transition, while Nathan Patterson has fallen out of favour.
Despite the obvious weakness, Kinnear insists Everton will not rush into signing a player simply to fill the position.
“We won’t have a right-back for Palace but it’s important we have the number one right-back we wanted when the window closes,” Kinnear told BBC Radio Merseyside.
Fulham’s Timothy Castagne and Crystal Palace’s Daniel Munoz have been linked with moves, but concerns over their respective prices and suitability have prevented Everton from making a decisive move.
The right-back issue is not the only area requiring attention.
Manager David Moyes is still looking for further additions before the transfer window closes, although Kinnear confirmed that discussions over a new contract for the Everton boss have not yet taken place.
Moyes’ current deal expires next summer, but his immediate focus remains on strengthening his squad.
The manager recently admitted there is still plenty of work to do.
“We’re putting things together, but we certainly feel behind the scenes that we’ve got a long way to go and want to do an awful lot more,” he said.
Everton therefore head into the new Premier League season with several important decisions still to make.
A long-term right-back remains the priority, while Grealish’s future at Manchester City could be one to watch if circumstances change later in the window.
For now, the message from Goodison Park is simple: Everton will wait for the right player rather than settle for the wrong one.
And if Grealish’s Manchester City future becomes uncertain again, the Toffees may well remain interested.
Toosin is a dedicated sports writer with a strong background in crafting engaging and insightful content. With experience at Goal, he has developed a sharp editorial sense and a refined storytelling approach that brings depth and perspective to sports journalism. His passion for the game goes beyond the headlines, as he captures both the excitement of the sport and the compelling human narratives behind each event. Toosin’s work resonates with a broad and diverse audience, making global sports stories accessible, relatable, and impactful.
