It's easy to see why there's a lot of positive buzz around Jack Grealish recently agreeing to personal terms with Everton. The former Aston Villa star has won pretty much everything at the club level with Manchester City, including three Premier League titles, a UEFA Champions League, and he has something to prove. But underneath the glamor, there's reality, which is something that Ryan Williams, co-host of The Blue Frontier, has been attentive to in the past few weeks.
Ryan has covered Everton for years through podcasts and always through a financial lens. Unlike some fans, he's not enthralled by the idea of bringing Grealish to Everton.
"Look, if Everton were in 7th or 6th right now and had squads anywhere near the level of the teams they want to compete with, it's not that big of a deal. But they don't," Williams said. "So, how else will Everton make up that gap with the bigger clubs? They need to invest very, very intelligently. It's just math."
The price to bring in Grealish would be heavy. He's currently on big wages, and Manchester City are trying to get any suitors to pay a large sum of it. City might also ask for a loan fee, making a Jack Grealish operation more expensive than one may think. Even if Grealish plays well and contributes to success, the return might not be as good as the price Everton pay.
"If Everton don't get super high return beyond what they spend, how would they ever catch those other teams that already can spend as much if not more," Williams said. "The goal is winning trophies and pushing for UCL spots every single year. That will take 3-4 years at best of really really smart investment... and luck."
Financially, Jack Grealish isn't perhaps the best option. But, there would be some positives that could come from signing the English international.
As everyone knows, Grealish has been cast out of Manchester City's squad, so he could be motivated by a fresh start. From Everton's perspective, combining Grealish with an overlapping right back could let him play with more freedom. Or, he could play on the left with newly signed Adam Aznou, which would definitely be an interesting combination.
Would this signing be the worst-case scenario? Not really. However, it would definitely be a mismanagement of assets, especially if Everton don't jump up a few spots in the table, which they'll have to if they want to keep bringing in new talent that can eventually compete with the best of the best in the Premier League.