Maresca Keeps Door Open for Grealish at Manchester City

Enzo Maresca has refused to close the door on Jack Grealish’s Manchester City career, keeping the £100m midfielder’s future firmly in play despite Everton’s determination to bring him back to Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Grealish, 30, spent last season on loan at Everton and, for a spell, became their late‑game specialist. He delivered two dramatic match‑winning goals and six assists before his season was abruptly cut short by a stress fracture in his foot during a 1-0 win at former club Aston Villa in January.

That injury ended his campaign on the pitch, but not his presence at Finch Farm. The England international stayed around the Blues’ training base for the remainder of his loan, only officially returning to City when the deal expired last month.

Now he is back in Manchester, stepping up his recovery and edging closer to full training at the Etihad Campus. The surroundings are familiar. The man in charge is, too.

Maresca, who once worked as Pep Guardiola’s assistant before taking the reins at Leicester City and Chelsea, has now inherited the main job from the departed Guardiola. And one of the first big calls of his tenure will be what to do with Grealish.

At his first press conference as City manager, the Italian was careful not to push the midfielder towards the exit.

“At the moment, he’s here. He’s a Man City player,” Maresca said. “I always said the same. In any club I join, I like to know if there are players that belong to the club. It’s my duty to try to coach them.

“Jack is here. I have a good relation with Jack since I left. Also, we keep in touch, and the reason why is because he has a big heart and he’s a very good guy. So this is the reason why.

“And then we see what happens.”

Those final seven words will be heard loud and clear on Merseyside. Everton want him back. Inside Goodison’s corridors there is a belief that the player is open to a return after his productive, if injury‑hit, spell last season.

The problem is timing and terms. Grealish must first prove his fitness before any serious talks can take place. City, for their part, are understood to favour a permanent sale rather than sanctioning another loan, a stance that raises the financial stakes for Everton if they hope to land one of the Premier League’s most high‑profile playmakers.

For now, Grealish works his way back to sharpness under a manager who knows him, likes him, and is in no rush to make a definitive call. Everton wait. City weigh their options. And a £100m career sits at a crossroads, with Maresca holding the signal.