Major Transfer Update Emerges Regarding Everton Target Ahead Of Summer 2026: What Should Be The Plan Of Toffees? | OneFootball

Everton currently lead the race for Manchester City forward Jack Grealish. Right now, the club are looking into whether they can actually afford to keep the playmaker on loan for the 2026/27 season. Pete O’Rourke dropped some interesting details about this on the Transfer Insider podcast, noting that the Merseyside club remain the favourite to land him.

Everton Target Extended Grealish Stay Amid Financial Constraints

That is still the case even though they have a £50 million option to buy him outright in their current deal. While Everton hold the upper hand legally, the board seems hesitant to pay such a massive fee. They are also worried about meeting his high salary demands. Manchester City appear to accept that the 30-year-old doesn’t have a future at the Etihad, so they are looking at different ways to move him on.

Speaking on the Transfer Insider podcast, he explained: “Yeah, I think you probably have to say that Everton are in pole position to sign Grealish if he does end up leaving Man City.

“Obviously, Everton do have that 50 million purchase option in the current loan agreement for Grealish right now, but Everton don’t really want to pay that.

“The positive news for Everton here is that Grealish is very much open for a return to Everton.

“He has really enjoyed working under David Moyes and obviously Moyes has been delighted to have Jack Grealish available to him as well.

“He’s obviously got no long-term future at Manchester City, I think that’s pretty certain. City will be open to all options to see Grealish move on whether that’s on a permanent or a loan.

“If he was going on a permanent, it’s still quite an expensive deal because of the wages that are involved and obviously the transfer fee as well, so Everton ideally would be interested in a loan deal again if they can get it.

“I think there’ll be talks to be held between Everton and City, probably to see if a deal can be agreed.”

What should the Toffees do, actually?

The England star has found his feet again since joining the Toffees in the summer of 2025. Playing for David Moyes, he has really hit his stride. The Birmingham-born winger turned 30 in September and proved his worth almost immediately with a great run of form.

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – JANUARY 18: Jack Grealish of Everton acknowledges the fans as he celebrates victory after Everton defeat Aston Villa during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Everton at Villa Park on January 18, 2026 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

For a while, he even sat at the top of the Premier League assist charts. In the first half of this 2025/26 season, Grealish set up six goals and scored two himself in 20 games. He showed off the same creative spark that made Manchester City pay a record fee for him in the first place. But everything changed on January 18, 2026. The attacker picked up a nasty stress fracture in his left foot during a win against his old club, Aston Villa.

His season is officially over after having surgery, which is a huge blow to his hopes of playing for England in the big tournament this summer. Everton have to be really careful about what they do next because of this injury. They also have to remember that he has entered the final few months of his City contract. The smartest move for the Toffees is to try for another loan.

This time, they should ask City to pay a big chunk of his wages. Since City want a clean break, Everton should use the fact that Grealish wants to stay at Finch Farm as a bargaining chip. This could help them lower the final price tag. Paying £50 million for an older player coming back from a major surgery is a huge gamble. The club need to focus on a clever loan extension to keep their style of play without putting their finances at risk.