Jack Grealish’s hopes of securing a permanent move to Everton have been boosted, despite not playing since mid-January. The 30-year-old winger underwent surgery in February to repair a foot stress fracture, which ended his 2025-26 season.
Grealish’s Impact at Everton
Grealish joined Everton on loan from Manchester City last summer and had a strong first half of the campaign. The 39-cap England international appeared to have rediscovered his form at Hill Dickinson Stadium, scoring two goals and providing six assists in 22 appearances for the Toffees.
Everton now face a decision on whether to try and sign Grealish permanently in the summer transfer window. The club will not be triggering the £50million option included in his loan agreement with Manchester City. Everton chiefs consider that figure too high. A fee in the region of half that amount might be a figure where Everton would feel comfortable striking a deal this summer.
Everton’s Struggles Without Grealish
Grealish last played in the 1-0 win over Aston Villa on 18 January. His injury forced David Moyes to move Iliman Ndiaye from the right to the left. Dwight McNeil has had to play a larger role on the right side, but his last goal contribution in all competitions was in December last year.
The likes of Tyrique George and Tyler Dibling haven’t been able to step up either, leaving Moyes short of quality wide options. Everton have only managed one win from their last five Premier League games.
This has highlighted Grealish’s value to the team, potentially boosting his chances of a permanent deal at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Everton’s attacking threat has been significantly reduced without him.
Experience in High-Pressure Situations
During his four seasons with Manchester City, Grealish helped the side win three Premier League titles between 2021-22 to 2024-25. All three title wins went down to the wire. This experience of being in a race where so much is on the line also enabled him to bring that experience to the Everton dressing room.
He knows what it takes to play and win high-pressure games. With Moyes’ men trying to secure their first foray into European football since 2017, that would be an invaluable trait to be able to field.
As of right now, Everton are set to fall short in their pursuit of continental football, but perhaps if they had Grealish available, he would’ve been there.