Everton Reacquire Grealish as Ndiaye Leaves for City

Jack Grealish is on his way back to Everton.

In the frantic final hours of the transfer window, the 30-year-old will return to Hill Dickinson Stadium on a season-long loan from Manchester City, with his medical booked for Tuesday morning.

This is not a move born in isolation. It’s a reaction.

Ndiaye to City Forces Everton’s Hand

Iliman Ndiaye is heading in the opposite direction, joining Manchester City in a deal reportedly worth up to $88 million (£65 million). That sale left David Moyes without a key attacking piece and very little time.

So Everton went straight back to the source.

Within hours of the Ndiaye agreement, talks opened with City over Grealish. The logic was obvious: Moyes knew exactly what he was getting, Grealish knew exactly what he was walking back into.

Last season, the England international spent the campaign on loan with the Toffees, delivering two goals and six assists in 22 appearances before a stress fracture in his foot cut him down in January. The numbers only tell part of it. His swagger on the ball, his willingness to graft, and his obvious comfort in Moyes’ system quickly turned him into a crowd favourite.

Even after he returned to City, the line between player and club never really went quiet. Everton kept in touch across the summer, aware that Sunderland and Aston Villa were also circling. When Ndiaye’s exit became inevitable, the decision to move for Grealish again came quickly.

The deal is now agreed in principle. Only the medical and final paperwork stand between Grealish and a second spell in blue before Tuesday’s deadline slams shut.

A Financial Statement from Everton

The numbers behind the move underline how much Everton want this to work.

They are set to cover around 90% of Grealish’s salary, a huge outlay given he earns close to $405,000 (£300,000) per week. There is no loan fee attached, but the club have secured an option to buy him permanently for $67.5 million (£50 million) next summer, when his City contract expires.

For City, it tidies up a complicated situation. Grealish joined from Aston Villa in 2021 for a then-British-record $135 million (£100 million), won trophies under Pep Guardiola and played his part in an era of dominance. But minutes have become harder to find in recent seasons, and his wage level has made a permanent sale difficult.

This loan clears space in Guardiola’s squad and wage bill. For Grealish, it offers something far more valuable than balance sheets: guaranteed game time and a central role.

What Grealish Gives Moyes – Again

At full tilt, Grealish remains one of the Premier League’s most distinctive wide players. He carries the ball at pace, draws fouls, and drags defenders into places they don’t want to go. That chaos creates gaps for others to exploit.

His first spell at Everton showed that he still has the sharpness and personality to thrive away from the Etihad. Supporters responded to his work rate as much as his flair, and he responded to the sense of belonging.

The foot injury was a major setback, ending his season just as he looked fully at home. But he has recovered and already featured briefly for City this term, enough to reassure Everton that he is ready to step straight back into Premier League intensity.

Now he returns to a dressing room that knows him, a manager who trusts him, and a fanbase that has already made up its mind about him.

An Attack Rebuilt on the Fly

Grealish is not the only late addition. Everton have agreed a deal worth more than $54 million (£40 million) for USMNT striker Folarin Balogun from Monaco, reshaping the forward line in the space of a few days. Beto heads out to Fiorentina for $23 million (£17 million), another piece of the attacking puzzle moved.

Moyes is not just replacing Ndiaye; he is retooling his entire front line.

In that new structure, Grealish’s role is clear: carry the ball, link the play, win territory, and give Balogun and company something to work off.

A Loan with an Inevitable Question

Because Grealish’s contract at City expires next summer, this move carries an obvious subtext. If it works, if he stays fit and delivers, Everton can make it permanent for $64 million (£50 million).

For now, the priority is simple: get him through the medical, get the deal signed, get him on the pitch before the window shuts.

City move on with a refreshed squad. Everton regain a player who had already embedded himself in their identity. And Grealish walks back into a club where he is not a rotation option or a luxury piece, but a central figure.

If he catches fire again on Merseyside, this won’t feel like a loan for long.