Man City lower Jack Grealish price despite £50m Everton option

Manchester City are prepared to drastically reduce Jack Grealish’s asking price despite Everton holding a £50m option to make his loan move permanent, with the winger now expected to be available for significantly less.

The England international joined Everton on a season-long loan from Manchester City last summer, with the deal including a £50m option to buy. That figure represented half of the £100m City paid Aston Villa in 2021 — but it now looks increasingly unlikely to be triggered.

Former Manchester City financial adviser Stefan Borson believes there is virtually no chance Everton will activate the £50m clause and has suggested City are ready to accept a much lower fee.

“I can’t see that there’ll be a huge bidding war for the player,” Borson told Football Insider.
“I think he’s happy at Everton. I think Everton should be able to get him for about £20m max.”

Borson explained that from City’s perspective, the numbers now point towards a pragmatic decision rather than holding out for a higher price.

“If City can get themselves out of the deal in the final year for what his amortised value is — which is probably about £20m by the time you get to the summer — I think City will take that, or even a small loss and get him off the wage bill.”

According to Borson, all parties may already be aligned on Grealish’s future. The 30-year-old is settled at Everton, while City see little prospect of reintegrating him into their long-term plans.

“I don’t see that there’s any realistic prospect of him going back to City,” Borson added. “And I don’t think it’s likely that he’s going to go anywhere else. He can get on with his career at Everton and that’s that.”

With Grealish under contract at City until June 2027, selling him next summer would also allow the club to avoid the risk of losing him for free further down the line.

Grealish arrived at the Etihad as Britain’s most expensive player, but his role gradually diminished after his peak contribution during City’s treble-winning 2022/23 campaign. Across four seasons, he made 157 appearances and scored 17 goals, playing his part in multiple domestic and European trophies.

Since moving to Everton, Grealish has featured 18 times in all competitions this season, rediscovering regular minutes and a more central role in attack.

From Everton’s point of view, the possibility of securing Grealish permanently for around £20m would represent significant value compared to the existing £50m option. For City, it would mean clearing a major salary and closing the chapter on one of their most expensive signings.

The summer window now looks decisive. Everton are unlikely to act on the existing clause, but fresh negotiations with City could quickly follow once the season ends. With little appetite elsewhere in the market, the pathway toward a reduced-fee deal appears increasingly clear.

Should Everton push early to secure Jack Grealish for a cut-price fee — or wait for City to blink further?