The future of Jack Grealish is still up in the air, but one new claim will leave some Everton fans slightly concerned.
TEAMtalk have suggested today that Jack Grealish could now get a new lease of life back at Manchester City, following the appointment of Enzo Maresca.
What should Everton be willing to pay to bring back Grealish over the summer? 💰
The same claim was made a few weeks ago, and it seems there could well be a chance of this happening.
Everton are thought to be keen to re-sign Grealish on some kind of basis, and the player himself is also open to a move.
But Maresca linking up with Grealish in pre-season could well change everything, and it’s certainly something to keep an eye on.
Amid the uncertainty, here are a few alternatives for David Moyes if Grealish doesn’t come back.
Tyrique George
Everton are closing in on the permanent signing of Tyrique George after recently ramping up talks with Chelsea.
George had a bit of an underwhelming loan spell with Everton, but only because he wasn’t afforded much game time by Moyes.
But there were still flashes of quality from George, who has qualities that the others don’t, namely pace, direct dribbling and unpredictability.
We mainly saw him on the left side when he did play, and he was effectively brought in as cover for Grealish when he got injured.
If Grealish didn’t come back, it could certainly make a lot of sense to get him on that left side from the off, and move Ndiaye over to the right.
Iliman Ndiaye
Some have argued Iliman Ndiaye is actually more effective playing off the left.
He mainly played from the right side when Grealish was available and while he is comfortable on that side, there is perhaps a little less scope for shooting.
On the left, he’s able to cut inside on his stronger right foot.
How likely do you think it is that Everton could lose Iliman Ndiaye this summer? 😬
Surely a player of his quality will want to showcase himself on the top stage 🤩
There’s actually been some uncertainty around Ndiaye this summer, with the player making some comments recently about wanting to play in the Champions League.
Perhaps that was a subtle come-and-get-me plea to any top clubs considering an approach.
But if he sticks around, then a left-sided role may be better for him, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to continue centrally where he’s flourished and Tyrique George to play from the right.
Keito Nakamura
Everton were credited with an interest in Keito Nakamura ahead of the weekend, after he impressed for Japan at the World Cup.
He is not yet a household name, but he looked great at the World Cup, and has also been bright with French club Reims.
What was potentially quite telling about the link, though, is that Nakamura predominantly plays as a left winger.
One wonders if Everton do actually see him as a direct replacement for Grealish on that left side.
Nakamura failed to get promotion to Ligue 1 in 2025/26 and there is apparently an agreement with Reims that he can leave for a fee of just over £20 million. Whether Everton want to go near that figure remains to be seen.
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