Pep Guardiola had warned Jack Grealish he was running out of time at Manchester City.
Speaking before the Champions League trip to Real Madrid in February, the City boss challenged Grealish to be more consistent with his performances, before adding that he hoped the England midfielder would “get it” before the end of the season.
Clearly, in Guardiola’s mind at least, he didn’t. And after Grealish was left at home for the trip to Fulham on the final day of the Premier League campaign, he was omitted from the squad for the FIFA Club World Cup. It was clear a sign as you can get that his career at the Etihad Stadium was over.
City have been so keen to find a new club for the 29-year-old that despite favouring a permanent transfer and a clean break, they’ve accepted a straight loan offer from Everton. He will spend the 2025-26 season on Merseyside, hoping to rediscover the form that led to his £100 million British record transfer from Aston Villa in 2021.
“It’s massive for me,” said Grealish after the deal was confirmed on Tuesday, a move that represents a pivotal moment in Grealish’s career.
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For a while now, it’s appeared as though the spark that made him a stand out at Villa has gone out. He was a key part of the City team that won the 2021-22 Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup in his second season, but since then Guardiola hasn’t been afraid to point out what he views as a significant dip.
“I want Jack from the treble season,” has been a regular line from Guardiola’s news conferences every time he’s been asked why Grealish wasn’t in the team.
There was a point in the 2022-23 campaign — between January and May — when Grealish started 21 of City’s 23 games. Twice, he started nine games in a row, and he was in the XI for both Champions League semifinal legs against Real Madrid, the final against Inter Milan and the FA Cup final against Manchester United.
It was not that Grealish was churning out incredible numbers — five goals and seven assists in the Premier League is a modest output for the position — but Guardiola appreciated the consistency of his performances in training and in games.
Slowly, though, Guardiola’s trust eroded. In the two years since Grealish lifted the Champions League trophy in Istanbul, Grealish has made 17 Premier League starts. Last season, he played just 715 minutes in the Premier League — less than second-choice goalkeeper Stefan Ortega and Kyle Walker, who joined Milan on loan in January.
Grealish did well in FA Cup ties against Salford City and Plymouth Argyle — albeit lower-level opposition — but on both occasions, he found himself back on the bench the following week.
“He is able to play a really good game like in the FA Cup,” said Guardiola. “But not the consistency to play every week with three games. It’s the same with six games in two weeks.”
In the absence of European football, there will only be one game a week for Everton this season. Their campaign begins with a trip to newly promoted Leeds United on Monday, when Grealish is expected to make his debut — fitness permitting. He’s followed a strict individual fitness programme during his break, but he’s only been back in full training for a couple of weeks, and it could take him a while to get up to speed. Staying fit will be vital as Grealish plots a resurgence he will hope could yet lead to a place in the England squad for next summer’s World Cup.
While Guardiola has repeatedly pointed to a lack of consistency, Grealish would argue that a number of injuries over the last two years have stopped him from getting into any kind of rhythm. It started with a dead leg at the beginning of the 2023-24 season. There have been issues with his hamstring and hip, plus a groin problem that’s been particularly troublesome.
Those who know Grealish best say the stop-start nature of the last two years affected his self-belief. Out of the team and not feeling fit enough to train properly, his confidence was knocked and it never really recovered. Grealish will tell you himself that he’s the type of player who needs regular games to find his best form; his manager, Guardiola, meanwhile would say that only players at their best should be rewarded with regular games. In that respect, it’s a little bit chicken and egg.
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The benefit of moving to Everton is that without the same competition for places there is at City, Grealish should be a certain starter. David Moyes is also likely to show more patience than Guardiola and go out of his way to create an environment for him to thrive. It could also be that Grealish finds himself back in the centre of the pitch occupying his preferred No.10 role, rather than the position wide on the left he fulfilled for Guardiola.
“I know Jack’s ambition is to get back into the England squad, so hopefully we can help him achieve that over the course of the season,” said Moyes on Tuesday. “We’re all looking forward to working with him and providing a platform for him to show the best version of himself.”
Grealish has picked the No.18 shirt at Everton, a nod to Paul Gascoigne and Wayne Rooney, two of his childhood heroes and former England internationals who both wore the same number. A successful season at the new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, and Grealish will become a cult hero in the same vein.
It would also propel him back in the conversation for a place at next summer’s World Cup and rejuvenate a career that, at 29 years old, which is threatening to stand still.
