From sky blue to a darker shade – Grealish becomes a Toffee

Jack Grealish became the record signing in English football in the summer of 2021. Manchester City paid 118 milion euros for him and, when all is said and done, got far too little in return over four years. The Englishman reached his modest peak at the Etihad in the 2022/23 season, when Guardiola’s “punitive expedition” conquered the Premier League, lifted the Champions League, and claimed a historic treble. Since then, the long-time England international’s career has hit an iceberg.

What's eating the most expensive English player ever?

It could be said that Grealish has been sinking ever since that famous treble celebration, when videos circled the globe showing him practically bathing in alcohol and drinking anything that came his way. Twitter jokes that he still hasn’t sobered up from late spring ’23, and that his focus on partying and off-field activities has turned the 29-year-old into a ghost-like, shapeless figure on the pitch over the past two seasons.

In Pep Guardiola’s serious plans to return City to the throne swiftly, there’s no room for frivolity — and therefore no room for Grealish. Everton have offered him a lifeline, with the clubs agreeing today on a loan deal and scheduling medical tests for the former Aston Villa player to be completed by the end of the day.

According to The Athletic, Everton will have the option to buy Grealish next summer for 60 milion euros. In a less demanding environment, with far less pressure, he still has the footballing potential to avoid complete collapse and resemble the player he once was at Aston Villa. At City, he had to sacrifice his individuality, which he could potentially regain under David Moyes.

However, his outlook on both football and life would also have to change. Otherwise, if he doesn’t get serious, his football “death” is inevitable — at least when it comes to serious Premier League football, which he hasn’t been able to deliver for quite some time.

For comparison, in his best season (2022/23), he was on the pitch for 3,725 minutes, scoring five goals and providing 11 assists in all competitions — numbers tailored to Pep Guardiola’s tactical perfection. In the two seasons since, Grealish has collected a total of 3,900 minutes, scoring six goals and providing eight assists, three of which came in the opening round of the FA Cup against lowly fourth-tier side Salford in an 8–0 win.

Over four years, he has played 157 matches for the Citizens, recording 17 goals and 23 assists. Far too little, especially when you remember he cost a then-unprecedented 118 milion euros in Premier League history.