Jack Grealish, welcome to Everton Football Club!

https://x.com/Everton/status/1955290683155288101

Also, it should open the eyes of other players, that Everton are a big club??

Grealish Signs For Everton On Loan

Now let's be seeing exactly which Jack Grealish (of the many apparently witnessed) we will be getting... starting on Monday.

And yes, David Moyes — that means he needs to be starting the game on Monday. No more of this "not ready for the Premier League" bullshit you keep coming out with.

Let's hope we play attacking football, that's suits you.
UTFT.

The 7 comments so far aren't too bad. 😂

He looks slim and fit, all we need is for him to stay injury free.

A couple more class players and we will be really competitive.

The Moyesiah has done it again.

Short while ago I drove past his old stomping ground. Not a patch on Hiill Dickensen. Wait until he plays there.

Good luck, Jack.

Whatever the pros and cons the new owners are clearly working hard on the rebuild - and we’re not rummaging around in the bargain bin either.

Obviously raises the question of what happens after 12 months - not sure the option to buy price is disclosed yet? Does anyone know?

I don't think it's such an obviously good deal as KDH or even at a much humbler level, Charley Alcaraz, but I'm sure like everybody, I wish him well and hope the very best version of Grealish shows up. That, we could use...

Some more quality pls before the window closes

Let him have a free-role and he'll murder teams.

Lovely news

I’m with Mark 21 on this: I don’t think the previous thread was as bad as some made it out to be. Many of us had (have?) reservations about this, and with good reason. Doesn’t mean we don’t all want to see him succeed. Enough of this nonsense about hoping he fails so we can say, I told you so.

He is a cracking success means the club is top half means he makes the WC squad means he says he wants only to stay in Everton blue the following season and Man City lets him go for £25 million.

Taking the 18 shirt and talking about it is a statement. Jack doesn't strike me as a bullshitter. Get yer saggy socks on, let's go!

And the Leicester columnist Thomas Bradley Alderman is acidic about Justin, whom I have never seen do anything worth noting against us. I'm very surprised to see the rumors that we're in for him.

Durham is a well known Everton hater so I don’t respect his opinions but he pisses me off every time he opens his big, smelly trap.

I only mention Justin as he was considered to be a rising star a few seasons ago.

He will enjoy it here, weights lifted off his shoulders, he's got a fresh start, he had to win over pep, and city fans because of his fee. He's not got that weighing him down.

He will love playing In a full stadium too !

I have to give credit to the board and manager. Not just for this, but we've done good business so far and conducted it professionally until there is an announcement to make. There has been and probably still is work going on in the background to secure additional players.

We don't get to see it, nor should we.

Jack is an Everton player for a season, so let's hope he is ready for it. He has the ability to become a fans favourite.

Why am I not overly thrilled about this signing? Why am I cautious? I'm not sure about this one.

Get your positive American pants on and start singing.

This is great news!

"We're all looking forward to working with him and providing a platform for him to show the best version of himself."

Instantly becomes our best player.

Absolutely buzzing.

Yippee-kai-aye MFer!

😂

Can’t wait to see you tear the arse out of Leeds on Monday, no pressure like!

Show the form that we all know you are capable and you will find out just how good our support really is.

UTFT Jack lad!

Be prepared Jack. The beady-eyed fashion police on TW will be keeping a close eye on you😉

There are circa 50,000 season ticket holders. That’s only £100 each.

Just a thought…

Mind you, I don’t really care. So looking forward to Leeds now with him and KDH plus Ndiaye.

I'd rather walk alone?? 😜

I think this will be a good signing. There's just a part of me that thinks Jack might have been out of favor too long at MC, and we're picking up the crumbs of a once great player who might be past it?

Eto. The broken and always injured James. I'm scarred.

That's a recipe for serious danger for any opponent. That is indeed salivating.

Everybody at work (in London no less) has mentioned this signing to me today and every single person is envious that we’ve got him. He’s going to draw in bigger TV audiences single handed ku and raise our profile, let’s hope he gets bums off seats in the stadium and gives us all something to cheer about.

He’s done his homework too, with the No 18 shirt, woo hoo!

I’ve forgot what it’s like going to the game excited to watch players who have got individual talent, so hopefully we can bring in a few more🤞

The alternate point of view that I’ve (sort of) come around to is that Man City shackled him and he lost some of the zest he had, the freedom to roam and be creative, the flair he’ll find again with us!

I don't think I'm usually a "measured response" kind of guy. This signing is making me more measured.

Do be very clear, I do think it's a very good signing. I'm just cautious.

How many dawns? How many rays of hope?

And we know hope springs eternal. We also know it's the hope that kills you.

I'm looking forward to Monday. I'm hoping this kid cuts in and hits an absolute piss-missle in the upper corner, and I get to see BMD certifiably lose its shit.

My Chelsea fan colleagues are annoyed that they let KDH go, think we’ve got a good one.

Sort the right flank out and we have a team!

I prefer some derivative of ‘Jack Attack’.

It’s just not normal and therefore completely logical, to feel a little bit cautious when so many Toffees, sound like they’re full of excitement🤷‍♂️

Moshiri’s, old calculator, is a classic Scott, because not many people get to write off debts of over £400 million, and yet see their overall wealth improve.

He must be a brilliant accountant on the sly, that Mr Moshiri🤦‍♂️

‘ While Everton started the summer by bringing in youngsters such as 22-year-old Thierno Barry and Adam Aznou, 19, Moyes wanted to add more Premier League experience as well as a marquee signing to excite the supporters. He was backed in that pursuit by the owners and CEO Kinnear’

https://youtube.com/shorts/_ZTy6o1F01c?feature=shared

My honest opinion is that Moyes suffers from that. My view is that some of the football played towards the end of his first tenure was entertaining and skillful. But the first few years were dour, defensive KITAP1 and it took us from perennial relegation dogfight to hitting the glass ceiling of top 4.

He was always a decent striker away from breaking that glass ceiling. Beattie, Johnson, Jo, Beckford, Jelavic (were not good enough), Saha (too old), Yakubu (injured after 18 months). As proved when Phenomenal Roberto got Lukaku that was the missing piece. Sadly Phenomenal Roberto then threw away the defence Moyes had build and it has been downhill ever since - with the odd false hope.

I was working on Lord Street in the City Centre and I went down to St John’s Market to get the ‘Danka’ shirt with his name on the back. I’m not a small lad but the 11 letters barely fitted across my shoulders and I remember fretting about whether the guy had spelled it correctly. He wearily reassured me that he’d done hundreds already and was seeing them in his sleep!

It’s nice that, now in my 50s, I can feel that same sense of anticipation. I expect to see ‘Grealish’ on at least as many shirts as Kanchelskis adorned back then.

Don’t let us down, Jack (Attack)…

The "fashion" I've seen over the years from Evertonians is the proverbial "Q-Tip" haircut. Very trendy (not...).

Freaking DCL looked like a model, and he was built like a Greek god. Anyone bashing his sense of fashion I'd wager has a fairly large belly and the aforementioned Q-tip cut.

I'm currently running a man-bun. I really need to get over there with my shorts, Florida footwear, hair pulled up in a top knot, and just walk the streets.

The only downside to Liverpool I've gathered over the years is the fashion. It doesn't exist.

I hope Jack grows it out, rocks the headband, and owns it. Just let it go, Jack, let it go.

Having said that, I don’t think Moyes will allow him to just do what he wants either! Somewhere in the middle is the ideal. An element of “free rein” is essential to get the best out of Grealish.

Will we bid fair well or bid farewell?

They all seem to have a lot of sympathy for him as well, given the way he was played in the Pep system which he quite obviously suffered in.

Meanwhile, I’ve been reading that Grealish has said that he has won the lot, and his next aim is to get Everton back where we belong………The Top! That will do for me!

Southampton want £45m +£5m in additional payments subject to conditions being met. They want the £45m over 3 years.

We want to pay them £9m over the 5 year length of the contract on offer.

Ryan @84, I read a lot of Paddy Boyland, as I'm sure a lot on here do.

For me, looking from the outside in, so to speak, I'm seeing the "flatter" transfer team collaborating even though all the parts aren't in place just yet.

Collaboration, player proposals, agreement and move for the target. If necessary, the CEO seeks approval from TFG. It doesn't really matter who's idea it was.

Obviously, I have no insider knowledge, just my assumptions.

Anyway, Grealish's comments make sense. He won't be working with the CEO or board, so it is Moyes he would have been more influenced by once negotiations were taking place.

How David Moyes and Everton stole a march on their rivals to sign Jack Grealish

A gamble worth taking. That was the view of senior figures connected to Everton and owner The Friedkin Group (TFG) as the club weighed up an ambitious move to sign Jack Grealish from Manchester City.

As far as they were concerned, the risk attached did not outweigh the potential reward. Instead, the general feeling was that the move had the potential to be a game-changer, ushering in an ambitious new era for Everton.

They had long been aware Grealish could be available in this window, and kept tabs on his situation throughout the summer. They also knew he would not come cheap, with City initially favouring either a permanent transfer or a loan with all of his wages covered.

Everton could not go quite that far, even with the billionaire backing of TFG. Internal estimates suggested they could stretch to an overall package of around £12million ($16.2m) for the season, which would make Grealish comfortably the highest-paid player at the club.

At certain points, there was a suspicion the 29-year-old would be pushed elsewhere, towards a more lucrative deal, or that a club offering Champions League football in a campaign leading up to the World Cup would lean on him to plug a gap that had emerged during their pre-season.

Grealish, though, let it be known that he wanted Everton. Those regular checks, made throughout the off-season, paid dividends, as did the intervention of the manager David Moyes, who made a compelling case during talks.

Discussions, formal and otherwise, took place over a couple of months, then, as reported by The Athletic, accelerated last week between the clubs. Negotiations on the Everton side were handled by head of trading Nick Hammond and new chief executive Angus Kinnear.

At that stage, Grealish had already made up his mind.

The attacking midfielder had expected to be plying his trade away from City in the coming season since the end of the last one but, much like Everton, pushed for the move to happen now rather than right at the end of the window in late August, after the campaign had begun. His desire to join Everton helped to smooth out the process during talks. For him, hitting the ground running in a World Cup season is key, given his lingering international aspirations.

The momentum was such that much of the excitable chatter at Everton’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday, as the first team played their final pre-season friendly against Italian visitors Roma, was about the prospect of Grealish being in situ before the opening fixture away at promoted Leeds United on Monday, August 18.

An outline agreement was subsequently reached between the two clubs on Monday. Though at that stage, some finer details were still being thrashed out. This was a complex deal, including discussions on how image rights and bonuses from his City contract could be translated into the new agreement. Yet there was enough confidence on both sides for the medical to happen at Everton’s usual facility in Newton-le-Willows, a small market town midway between Liverpool and Manchester. There, in his velour tracksuit, Grealish posed for photos with excited Everton fans ahead of the move being confirmed.

He joined officially on Tuesday, before heading to the stadium to go through his media duties with club channels. Grealish, who turns 30 on September 10, arrived at the new £800m facility on Liverpool’s waterfront to find his name up on the big screen and on the LED advertising boards around the pitch. It is early days, but the club are doing their best to make him feel at home.

Everton see this as a statement signing — their first of those since Colombia captain James Rodriguez’s free-transfer arrival from Real Madrid in September 2020 and a potentially symbolic moment for the new ownership. After years of penny-pinching and doom-laden financial predictions, the club’s era of austerity looks very much over.

Everton will cover around three-quarters of Grealish’s £300,000 a week salary, with City including a £50m purchase option in the deal, but a fee could still be negotiated if Everton want to make it permanent next summer.

That final bit is a conversation for another day, though. For now, the belief is that Everton have landed much-needed star quality for the first season of their new stadium — and a potential coup if Grealish can get anywhere close to recapturing the form of old.

Grealish was not short of admirers, even if his situation at City created a considerable barrier to entry for interested parties. He had been disappointed with his lack of minutes last season and knew it was time to move on after four years at the Etihad, while the club had also planned for life without him.

Fellow Premier League side West Ham monitored the situation, while a potential move to Italian side Napoli was discussed. Celtic expressed interest, but Grealish never seriously considered a move to Scotland.

Turkey’s Fenerbahce were among the most significant contenders, and could have got close to meeting City’s financial demands. There was a sense from others involved in the deal that Grealish was being pushed in that direction, but the midfielder was not keen on moving to Istanbul. He had sought advice from friends regarding a potential transfer to Turkish football and was keen to remain in the Premier League.

A decisive intervention from Moyes swung the matter in Everton’s favour. During lengthy talks between the Scot, Grealish and the player’s camp, it was emphasised that he would be a key pillar in Moyes’ setup this season. Discussions also centred on where he would fit into the side, with Grealish likely to drift between the No 10 role and left flank. It was felt that Moyes was likely to be a positive influence on the player at a pivotal moment in his career.

While Everton started the summer by bringing in youngsters such as 22-year-old Thierno Barry and Adam Aznou, 19, Moyes wanted to add more Premier League experience as well as a marquee signing to excite the supporters. He was backed in that pursuit by the owners and CEO Kinnear.

All of that was important to Grealish in what is a World Cup year. He is desperate to get back in the England fold, having not made a squad since winning the most recent of his 34 senior international caps against Finland last October, and has held positive talks with national-team manager Thomas Tuchel. He knows he needs to play regularly at club level to be considered, with the prospect of participation in the tournament in North America next summer a key motivation.

Everton sold their project to him. Alongside the sense that he would be the main man in their attack, they are showing ambition with their new stadium and other work in the transfer market. Moyes is targeting another three or four new additions before the end of the window, with new wingers, a central midfielder and a right-back on his list.

There was a sense that Grealish needed to be somewhere he felt valued. During a summer trip to the Spanish resort of Marbella, he bumped into former Everton captain Alan Stubbs, who emphasised how much he would be loved by the club’s fanbase.

Positive references about the place came from players who have featured more recently for Everton, with goalkeeper Jordan Pickford a friend from England duty and represented by the same CAA Stellar agency. Everton’s relationship with Stellar is positive following discussions with one of their other clients, striker Liam Delap, before his move from Ipswich Town to Chelsea earlier this summer. Also, in signing for Everton, Grealish will avoid having to relocate from his Cheshire home.

He will wear the No 18 shirt at his new club. The No 8 was also vacant, but the Birmingham-born midfielder decided to follow in the footsteps of two personal heroes, Paul Gascoigne and Wayne Rooney, who both wore 18 at Everton. “I spoke to Wayne before I came here and I mentioned that to him – about the number 18 – so I hope he’s happy as well,” Grealish said.

There is no guarantee this move will work out, but all parties felt confident enough to give it a go. Creating the right conditions for Grealish to succeed at Everton will be key if he is to return to the form that led to a British record £100million move from Aston Villa to City in the summer of 2021.

With no major national-team competition this summer and having been left out of City’s squad for the Club World Cup ahead of a potential move, Grealish has had a long break to relax and refresh.

There have been family holidays and trips to Marbella, while he also spent time working on his fitness with a personal trainer. Grealish is set to train with his new team-mates this week, making him available for that season opener at Leeds next Monday, if selected.

As stated earlier, he is understood to be desperate to hit the ground running and make an impression.

Everton will afford him the opportunity to do just that, albeit at considerable cost.

A gamble worth taking? We’re about to find out.

Whatever happens, it’s likely to be fun. And Everton fans have not had anywhere near enough of that in recent seasons.

Mike, likewise my Chelsea mates understand his reasons for leaving, he needs to be playing regularly at what should be the peak years of his career. Perhaps he also fancies the World Cup next year?

Another technical footballer signed. For me it's a real positive that the skill factor is being upgraded. We can look forward to getting an attack going, and actually know what we are going to do with it.

Nice to see that ‘Dithering Davey’, as he’s sometimes referred to on TW, was pivotal to the move. Maybe he’s got more clout than many thought.

Mike G, great article, appreciate you sharing it.

There is much in it, but the only bit that really matters to me is the final paragraph.

No inside knowledge from me, but I am seeing the transfer team starting to work in the "flatter" infrastructure, that Kinnear announced when he was appointed. So no one individual calling the shots.

They meet, they discuss targets, agree and move to get the player. If necessary, the CEO gets TFG approval. It doesn't really matter who's idea it was.

Grealish's comments make sense to me. He is going to be working with Moyes, not with the CEO or board, so that will inevitably have influenced his decision.

As I said earlier, good work from the transfer team so far, even though not all the parts are in place.

Still a couple to add, but now this has happened, I'm pleased with it.

The report that Davey is still looking for a central mid does seem to imply that young Armstrong is headed out on loan. Striker not being mentioned might be an indication that Chermiti will be staying with us.

Pete #113, for sure. We are way overdue for some fun like this.

“I'm looking forward to Monday. I'm hoping this kid cuts in and hits an absolute piss-missle in the upper corner, and I get to see BMD certifiably lose its shit.”

Never heard of a piss-missile before, but I can’t wait for it — though it won’t be at BMD next Monday. But maybe even better if he does it before the away crowd at Elland Road. Then again at BMD when we truly open the stadium against Brighton.

Iain 103 interesting I had not heard that before about the difference being in how long we spread out the fee paid, but all that makes sense as a possibility given PSR and accounting and all that. My hunch is we’ll get the deal done for Dibling, though if we’re £10 million apart in valuation, as Ryan said, I’m less optimistic.If that’s the case, it’s time to walk away.

I doubt anyone will pay 50m for a 30 year old with 1 year left on his contract. Maybe we can steal him for 25m!

Remember the letters and numbers on the shirt were kind of ‘fluffy’ in those days? Bizarre!