Maresca Keeps Options Open for Grealish as Everton Shows Interest
Enzo Maresca has only just walked through the front door at Manchester City, but one of his first tasks already carries a £100m headline: what happens next with Jack Grealish?
The new City manager refused to close off any avenue for the forward’s future, keeping both his club and Everton guessing over the fate of a player who lit up Goodison Park before injury cut him down.
“At the moment, he's here. He's a Man City player,” Maresca said at his first press conference. No grand declarations. No public shop window. Just a clear message: Grealish belongs to City until someone changes that.
Everton want their talisman back
Everton’s stance is no secret. They want Grealish back at Hill Dickinson Stadium. They believe the player wants the same.
His loan spell last season was short of games but rich in impact. Grealish produced two late match-winning goals and six assists, often dragging Everton up the pitch almost by force of personality, before a stress fracture in his foot brought everything to a halt in January.
The injury came in a 1-0 win at Aston Villa, his former club, and ended his season on the spot. The England international stayed at Finch Farm to continue his rehabilitation, a visible presence around the squad even after his loan officially expired last month.
Everton saw enough. They know what he gave them in decisive moments. They also know what he could give them over a full, healthy campaign.
Back at City, and back with an old ally
Now 30, Grealish is back at his parent club, edging closer to a return to full training at the Etihad Campus. The surroundings are familiar, but the man in charge is new – at least in title.
Maresca, previously Pep Guardiola’s assistant, has returned to Manchester after spells in the dugout at Leicester City and Chelsea to take over from the departed Guardiola. Grealish, though, is not starting from zero with him.
“I have a good relation with Jack since I left,” Maresca explained. “Also, we keep in touch, and the reason why is because he has a big heart and he's a very good guy.”
For a manager stepping into one of the most pressurised jobs in European football, that bond matters. Maresca made it clear he sees it as his responsibility to work with any player under contract.
“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,” he said. “Jack is here… And then we see what happens.”
That final line hangs in the air. It leaves every option on the table.
City’s stance: permanent or nothing?
Everton’s desire is straightforward. City’s position is more calculated.
Before any deal can be revisited, Grealish has to prove his fitness. He must complete his recovery and show he can withstand the demands of another season at the highest level. Only then will the real negotiations start.
City are said to favour a permanent exit rather than another loan. That alone changes the equation for Everton. Bringing back a player of Grealish’s profile and cost on a long-term basis would be a major financial and strategic commitment, not just a one-season jolt of creativity.
For now, Maresca has him in the building, on the training pitch soon, and under consideration. Everton have him in their plans. Grealish has a decision looming.
Does he fight for a fresh chapter under a manager who already trusts his character? Or does he return to a club where he has already become a match-winner and a symbol of hope?
