Credit: Imago

Chris Smith

Fri 8 August 2025 19:16, UK

Everton are facing a battle to get a deal for Jack Grealish over the line, but one of their ex-players appears to have offered them a helping hand.

The Toffees are on the lookout for new wingers following the expiry of Jack Harrison and Jesper Lindstrom’s loans, leaving Dwight McNeil and Iliman Ndiaye as the club’s only senior options.

Alongside Southampton talent Tyler Dibling, Everton have been heavily linked with Grealish this summer, with the 39-time England international falling down the pecking order at Manchester City.

However, Everton also face competition from the likes of Napoli and Tottenham — with the latter likely to step up their interest following James Maddison’s injury.

Agent Alan Stubbs helping Everton in Grealish push

If Spurs push ahead with their interest in Grealish, it might be hard for Everton to compete, with the Lilywhites boasting Champions League football this season.

However, they may have been given a surprise helping hand from former defender Alan Stubbs, who has admitted to tapping up Grealish while on holiday in Marbella this summer.

“To be honest, I had a night out with Jack in the summer over in Marbella,” Stubbs told talkSPORT. “I tried my best to get him to Everton. I was telling him how much he’d be loved.

“He’d be an idol at Everton, the fans would really take to him.”

On how a Grealish/Everton partnership could benefit both parties, Stubbs — who played 193 times across two spells for his boyhood club, including 164 times under Moyes — added: “I just think from an Everton point of view, Jack Grealish needs to be loved again. I think he needs to start enjoying his football. 

“And that’s not to say anything about Man City, what he’s done – he’s gone there, he’s won titles, he’s won trophies, but he’s not been the same Jack Grealish that we’ve seen at Villa, where he had the freedom to go and be himself. 

“And I think David Moyes would give him that.

“I think he’d absolutely relish it at Everton, I really do. And I think we all want to see that Jack Grealish.

“Even if you’re a fan of any club, you’d all want to see the real quality players do well. And I think Jack Grealish has really gone off the boil in the last year, and it’s a shame to see.”

Jack Grealish urged to make Spurs move

While Everton would love to sign someone of Grealish’s character, it’s going to be tough.

The 29-year-old’s former Aston Villa teammate, Gabby Agbonlahor, has urged the playmaker to move to Spurs, highlighting them as a better prospect than the Toffees or Napoli.

He said: “Napoli have been linked with [Jack] Grealish, Everton have been linked with Grealish as well, and [David] Moyes will sell him that project, ‘look, you’re going to be our guy’. And Spurs.

“If you’re Grealish, which one is the better of those three?”

The former pacey forward replied: “I would go to Spurs.

“I think stay in the Premier League, even though I do like players that try different leagues, but a team like Spurs are going to be playing Champions League football, it’s a no-brainer to stay in the Premier League.

“Thomas Frank as well, I’m sure, he will love to have a player like Jack Grealish, his quality that he has got.”