Manchester City have quietly made a decision that has shocked many people following the news that Jack Grealish will miss the rest of the 2025/26 season through injury. What first looked like a sad end to a difficult campaign for the England winger has now turned into a bigger story about his future, his place at City, and what comes next in a career that once looked untouchable. Grealish’s season-ending foot injury has forced everyone involved to pause, reflect, and plan ahead, and City’s latest move has made it clear that his long-term future at the Etihad is now hanging by a thin thread.
When Jack Grealish left Manchester City on loan to Everton in the summer of 2025, it already felt like the end of an era. Once the most expensive player in British football, Grealish had slowly slipped down Pep Guardiola’s list of trusted players. Injuries, competition for places, and tactical changes all played their part. By the end of the 2024/25 season, it was clear that Grealish was no longer a guaranteed name on the team sheet. The loan move to Everton was supposed to be a fresh start, a chance to play regular football again, to enjoy the game, and to remind everyone of the player who once lit up the Premier League.
At Everton, Grealish did not become an overnight superstar, but he showed signs of life. Under David Moyes, he was given freedom, responsibility, and trust. In 22 appearances across all competitions, he scored two goals and provided six assists. Those numbers may not sound spectacular, but they only tell part of the story. Grealish brought calm, experience, and creativity to a young and sometimes inconsistent Everton side. He carried the ball, won fouls, slowed the game down when needed, and tried to lead by example. For Everton fans, it felt like they were finally seeing a player who cared deeply about the shirt he was wearing.
Then came the cruel twist. During a narrow 1-0 win over Aston Villa, Grealish picked up a foot injury that at first did not look too serious. He missed a few games, stayed out of the spotlight, and focused on recovery. But weeks passed, and the silence grew louder. Eventually, the confirmation arrived. Grealish had undergone surgery, and his season was over. No comeback, no final push, no chance to build momentum before the summer. Just pain, disappointment, and another long recovery process.
Grealish’s reaction said everything about his state of mind. In an emotional message shared with fans, he admitted that he did not want his season to end like this. He spoke openly about feeling gutted, about the pain of watching from the sidelines, and about how football can be cruel. But he also tried to stay positive, promising to come back fitter, stronger, and better. He thanked Everton’s staff, players, and fans for their support, saying the love he received meant the world to him. Those words mattered. They showed that, even on loan, Grealish had found a place where he felt valued again.
Behind the scenes, however, Manchester City were already making plans. According to reports, the club have decided that Grealish will be loaned out again next season, even though he will be entering the final year of his contract. This is the part of the story that has surprised many people. Normally, clubs either sell a player or keep them around when their deal is running down. Loaning out a player in the final year of their contract often means one thing. The club is no longer counting on them to return.
For Grealish, this decision speaks volumes. It suggests that Pep Guardiola does not see him as part of City’s future plans. It suggests that the club is unwilling to invest more time and energy into reintegrating him after injury. And it suggests that City are comfortable with the idea of Grealish eventually leaving for free. That is a huge fall for a player who once represented everything Guardiola admired, control, bravery on the ball, and intelligence in tight spaces.
Everton are said to be at the front of the queue to take Grealish on loan again. From their point of view, the situation makes sense. They know the player, the player feels comfortable at the club, and the fans have embraced him. David Moyes has already hinted that Everton will have a strong say in Grealish’s situation, even though City technically own his contract. Moyes understands how fragile confidence can be, especially for a player coming back from surgery. Stability, patience, and trust will be key.
There is also the growing belief that Grealish would be happy to stay at Everton long term. With just one year left on his City deal after another loan, he could join the Toffees on a free transfer at the end of the 2026/27 season. For Everton, signing a player of Grealish’s quality without paying a transfer fee would feel like a major victory. For Grealish, it would represent a chance to settle, to rebuild his career away from constant pressure, and to enjoy football again.
This entire situation raises bigger questions about how quickly football moves on. Not long ago, Grealish was a central figure in City’s treble-winning side. He played a key role, especially during the Champions League run, where his discipline and tactical understanding surprised many critics. He sacrificed parts of his natural game to fit into Guardiola’s system, tracking back, holding his position, and doing the dirty work. At the time, he was praised for his maturity and selflessness.
But football does not stand still. New players arrive, younger legs push through, and managers evolve. Guardiola’s City is always changing, always searching for the next edge. In that environment, sentiment rarely survives. Once Grealish began to suffer injuries and lose rhythm, the door slowly closed. The loan move to Everton was not just about game time. It was about acceptance that his chapter at City was nearing its end.
The injury has only sped things up. Coming back from foot surgery at 30 years old is not easy. It takes time, careful management, and belief. City, with their crowded squad and constant pressure to win everything, may not feel they can afford that time. Everton, on the other hand, can offer something different. They can offer patience. They can offer a system built around Grealish rather than asking him to fit into something rigid.
From a human point of view, this story is painful. Grealish has never been a player who hides his emotions. He wears his heart on his sleeve, whether that is celebrating wildly, reacting to criticism, or speaking honestly about setbacks. Watching another season end in the treatment room will hurt deeply. Watching his parent club quietly plan for life without him will hurt even more.
Yet there is also a strange sense of opportunity in all of this. Many players have found new life after being written off by big clubs. Sometimes, stepping away from the spotlight allows talent to breathe again. If Grealish can recover fully, regain fitness, and stay injury free, he could still be a huge asset for Everton or any club willing to build around his strengths.
The next few months will be crucial. Recovery will be slow and demanding. Doubts will creep in. Questions about motivation, sharpness, and future ambition will not go away. But Grealish has faced doubt before. From his early days at Aston Villa to the pressure of his record-breaking move to City, he has always been questioned. Sometimes he answered loudly, sometimes quietly, but he survived.
Manchester City’s decision to loan him out again may feel like a rejection, but it does not have to be the end of the story. Football careers rarely follow straight lines. They twist, dip, and rise again in unexpected ways. For Jack Grealish, this injury and this decision could mark the closing of one door, but also the opening of another.
Everton’s season will continue without him for now, and City will move on as they always do. But Grealish’s journey is far from over. Somewhere beyond the pain, the surgery, and the uncertainty, there is still a player who loves the game deeply and wants to prove that he belongs. Whether that future lies at Goodison Park, the Hill Dickinson Stadium, or somewhere else entirely, only time will tell, but one thing is clear. Jack Grealish is standing at a crossroads, and the next step he takes could define the rest of his career in ways nobody expected before this season began.
