Manchester City might have to drop their asking price by quite a bit. They need to do this if they want to sell Jack Grealish to Everton permanently this summer. Keith Wyness, the former chief executive at Everton, spoke about the situation on the Football Insider Inside Track podcast.
Manchester City Face Transfer Fee Blow as Grealish Injury Derails Everton Loan Spell
He says the Premier League giants have to give ground on their valuation. This comes after the winger broke a bone in his foot. Wyness ran things at Goodison Park from 2004 to 2009. He still thinks a deal can happen despite this setback. Right now, the Toffees are paying wages for a player who cannot get on the pitch. Even so, Wyness reckons a refreshed Grealish could be worth a lot next season. That depends on everyone agreeing to cheaper terms.
This injury puts both the player and the club in a tough spot. Grealish is 30 now. This long recovery pretty much wipes out his 2025/26 season. It also ruins his chances of playing for England at the next World Cup in North America. Manager David Moyes is stuck without his best creative player during a massive run of games. Still, the conversation is already shifting toward the summer transfer window.
He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “I still believe that Jack will come and sign with Everton next year. I think City will have to reduce considerably the fee that they’re looking at.
“I think he will have to reduce his wages. And Everton, of course, are taking the loss right now. But in the end, I think a fit Jack next year, you know, refreshed. And we’ve got to think about this. When he was at City, he didn’t really play a big role in the last couple of seasons he was there.
“So, you know, he is not overworked in terms of his body as such for his age. So he’s still got some freshness left in those big calves. So let’s see if we can get something done, and hopefully, he gets fit. The main thing is he gets fit, and he gets his foot sorted out.
“It is a difficult injury, stress fractures, and it will take time. So yes, think a good pre-season and getting back in for next year, but I think there’ll be ways to get the financial deal done, but everybody’s going to have to take that big cut.”
Should the Toffees sign him permanently?
City’s contract setup makes things even harder. The midfielder is down to the last 12 months of his deal at the Etihad. Because of that, the club do not have much power in negotiations. Asking for the £50 million fee they originally wanted isn’t realistic while the player is still recovering from surgery.
This means Everton are in the driving seat. Wyness is right that Grealish will have to take a pay cut, too. That is the only way to make a permanent move work. His huge salary is a massive problem for a club trying to follow profit and sustainability rules.
Looking at the football side of things, a permanent signing makes a lot of sense. Grealish was brilliant at Goodison before he got injured. He showed he still has what it takes to break down tough defences. His legs might be fresh, like Wyness says, but his injury history is a worry.
Everton could try to work out a deal based on performance with a low upfront cost. If they pull that off, getting the Englishman back permanently would be a massive win for Moyes. But the Toffees cannot afford to take a big risk. Spending a fortune on an older player with fitness issues just isn’t an option.
