Jack Grealish has been left out of Manchester City's 28-man squad for their pre-season tour of Asia, opening the door for Everton to re-sign the midfielder. The former Aston Villa playmaker's loan spell with the Toffees was cut short in January after he suffered a fractured foot.
Grealish Left Out of City's Pre-Season Tour
Despite returning to training, Grealish was not included in City's travelling party. The official reason given is that he is still recovering from the injury, but it could also indicate that he is not part of new manager Enzo Maresca's plans. He had already fallen out of favour under Pep Guardiola, which led to his loan move to Everton last August.
Grealish, who turns 31 in September, wants and needs to play first-team football. His social media activity suggests he is motivated to restart his career. Last week, he shared a picture of himself training at City and wrote: "Nice to see everyone, am nearly there! Hopefully not long now till back training for good." He also posted an Instagram story with a picture of his feet, a ball, the temperature (31 degrees), and the caption "Working."
Moyes and Maresca on Grealish's Future
Everton manager David Moyes expressed his admiration for Grealish at the end of last season, saying: "Obviously we like Jack a lot. We've looked after Jack all the time since his injury. It's looking in good order now, the surgeon speaks very well about it and thinks it's healing greatly. Normally, a player would go back to his parent club and be looked after from there, but we will continue doing our best for Jack. He is incredibly well liked inside and outside the building but ultimately he is not our player, he is Man City’s player. We've had him on loan for a year and I have to say we've enjoyed having him."
Maresca, when asked about Grealish, said: "At the moment, he's here. He's a Man City player. I always said the same. In any club I join, I like to know if there are players that belong to the club. It's my duty to try to coach them. Jack is here. I have a good relation with Jack since I left [as a coach under Pep Guardiola]. Also, we keep in touch, and the reason why is because he has a big heart and he's a very good guy. So this is the reason why. And then we see what happens."
Potential Return to Everton
The "see what happens" comment has been interpreted as Grealish being available for the right price. With just one year left on his contract, that price is expected to be far less than the £100 million City paid Aston Villa in 2021. Grealish remaining in the UK would make it easier for Everton to complete a deal, including a medical, before the start of the season. A return to the Toffees would be logical given the care he received at Finch Farm after his injury.
