Grealish returns to Manchester City squad but faces transfer uncertainty
Jack Grealish has returned to Manchester City's match-day squad, appearing in the Community Shield defeat by Arsenal and in Sunday's Premier League opener against Bournemouth, but his future beyond the transfer window remains undecided.
The 30-year-old is into the final year of his reported £300,000-a-week contract at Etihad Stadium and was allowed to join Everton on a season-long loan after being discarded by Pep Guardiola in the Spaniard's final season in charge. That spell at Everton was cut short in January by an Achilles tendon injury; Grealish has since returned to full fitness and featured in both of City's games so far this season, entering during the Community Shield and playing the final eight minutes of City's late comeback win over Bournemouth.
Grealish was present when City players reported for pre-season in mid-July and was due to join the squad's tour of the Far East before being ruled out with an injury setback. He impressed in training on his return and has earned a place back in Enzo Maresca's squad ahead of the transfer window's final week.
Maresca declined to promise Grealish would remain at the club, saying: "He is here and it is my duty to coach Jack and to try to get the best. "Then it is one more week to go and we will see what happens. Not only with Jack but also other players." Club sources say all options are being kept open — staying, another loan or a permanent exit — as the window approaches its deadline.
During his time at Everton before the injury Grealish contributed two goals and six assists in 20 appearances and won the Premier League's Player of the Month award for August. City sources say there have been no concrete offers for Grealish so far this summer, with a return to Hill Dickinson Stadium described as the most viable option should he move on.
Everton have not yet made a formal approach but remain interested, according to club officials. "He is a player we have remained in contact with," Everton chief executive Angus Kinnear told BBC Radio Merseyside. "It was no secret he decided to have his injury rehabilitation done here for the remainder of last season - he didn't have to do that as he could have gone back to Manchester City. "He is a player who has fallen in love with the right shade of blue, but ultimately he is a City player and we have to respect that. What I do know is that the supporters and the team embraced him and treated him as one of our own. That gave us a good platform to have a longer term conversation with him. "The most important thing is that he is back fit after he had a serious injury, so I was delighted to see him get some minutes in the Community Shield."
Decisions over Grealish's status are expected before transfer deadline day on Tuesday, 1 September, with his immediate appearances not yet amounting to a guarantee of his long-term place at Manchester City.
