Manchester City have had to be patient for interest in Jack Grealish to formalise, but Everton have reason to move quickly

Manchester City lost most of their leverage in the transfer market with Jack Grealish over their decisions regarding him in the final weeks of the season.

Pep Guardiola leaving him on the bench for the FA Cup final and then out of the squad completely for the final Premier League game and Club World Cup told the world that he wasn’t part of the first-team plans.

That sent a message to anybody who was interested in Grealish for this coming season that City didn’t want him, and in that scenario the selling club usually has to be happy with what they get.

Buyers – or loaners – can sit back and wait until the final weeks of the window knowing that unless somebody else comes in the Blues will offer more and more favourable terms for an exit than they would if there was the pretence that Guardiola wanted him.

It was not a surprise then, when City players returned to training in Manchester a month after being knocked out of the Club World Cup and Grealish was back in with them. Nobody is in any rush to start a bidding war when the longer they leave it the better deal they could get.

Everton, however, may buck the trend. The Merseysiders have approached City over a season-long loan for the 29-year-old as he looks to play his way back into the England squad under Thomas Tuchel in time for the World Cup next summer.