Are Aston Villa the only threat to Everton’s Jack Grealish free transfer plan? Ex- Toffees winger explains ‘money’ conundrum ahead of Man City exit for £100m star

There is no suggestion at present that Villa would be keen on discussing a deal that would take a prodigal son back to his West Midlands roots. Having graduated out of the academy system at his boyhood club, Grealish packed his bags for Manchester in 2021.

He was the most expensive player in British football at that point, but never truly got to grips with the tactical demands of Pep Guardiola. Treble glory was savoured in 2023, with three Premier League titles and a Champions League crown figuring prominently on his glittering roll of honour.

City, though, have moved on. They allowed Grealish to link up with Everton last season and briefly saw him rediscover a creative spark before an unfortunate foot injury brought his 2025-26 season to a close.

No slate was wiped clean under Enzo Maresca, meaning that another loan switch could be secured. The 31-year-old winger is considered to be in the process of shaking a little rust, but there is no doubting his ability to tie opposition defences in knots when performing at the peak of his powers.

Everton are likely to explore the option of keeping those qualities on their books beyond the end of the current campaign, with no transfer fee being required, but will Grealish attract interest from elsewhere?

Asked if Villa, given their ability to pull on emotional heartstrings, are the only club in England that could prevent Grealish from extending his association with the Toffees, Nevin - who was speaking in association with NetBet Casino - told GOAL: “It is a tricky one because in the end, painful though it may be, it might come down to money. Jack's not cheap.

“Okay, so his contract ends and there's still a lot of money. You won't have any suggestion of Man City paying part of his wages anymore. So it's quite a big call for a team to take him on. You can maybe get two or three players for those wages. So it's a difficult one.

“Yeah, he would like Villa. I look at Villa and I don't know if they would take him at the moment. Just the style of play they have and the way they've had to cut their cloth accordingly as well. I just get the feeling Everton is a good fit for him.

“I was at the game last weekend against Hull and to be fair, all the reasons why Pep was fed up were visible that day in the first half. He was a bit sloppy, he wasn't going by people, he wasn't attacking, he was a bit slack and lazy. You can't get by in the Premier League like that. And I thought, ‘Moyesy won’t be happy with you’.

“Anyway, came out in the second half, he was great. You kind of need somebody like that. It's a simple thing to say tough love, but I think Jack needs to have a kind of respect and an awe for a manager. And I don't know how many there are like that. I think Moysey can adapt and do that. So Everton, I suspect, could be the one that he stays with.”

While Villa would hold obvious appeal for Grealish, he does need to find stability on and off the pitch that will allow a consistently-high level of performance to be delivered. Everton supporters have taken him into their hearts.

He may not be the player he once was, with 39 senior caps for England to his name, but remains a match-winner on his day and the Toffees will believe that they can be the ones to get a colourful character playing with a smile on his face again.