The football world was abuzz on August 12, 2025, as Manchester City’s star striker Erling Haaland shared an emotional farewell to his close friend and teammate Jack Grealish, who is set to join Everton on a season-long loan with a £50 million option to buy. The 29-year-old England international, who has struggled for game time under Pep Guardiola, is poised to revive his career at Goodison Park under David Moyes. Haaland, known for his prolific goal-scoring and larger-than-life personality, took to social media to express his feelings, posting a series of photos of the duo with a light blue heart and a hands-forming-a-heart emoji. “Jack Grealish where are you,” he captioned a poignant image from City’s flight to the Club World Cup, where an empty seat beside him symbolized Grealish’s absence, accompanied by a crying emoji. The heartfelt gesture underscored the deep bond between the two, forged during their time at the Etihad.
Grealish’s move comes after a challenging 2024-25 season, where he started just seven Premier League matches and was an unused substitute in City’s FA Cup final loss to Crystal Palace. Once the cornerstone of City’s 2022-23 Treble-winning campaign, where he started all seven Champions League knockout ties, Grealish found himself behind Phil Foden, Savinho, Jeremy Doku, and others in the pecking order. “I’m the person who fought for him to come here and the person who fought for him to stay,” Guardiola said, emphasizing his admiration for Grealish despite his reduced role. The £100 million signing from Aston Villa in 2021, a British record at the time, has won three Premier League titles, the Champions League, and the FA Cup, but limited minutes—only 16 starts across all competitions last season—prompted the loan move. Everton’s agreement to cover a significant portion of Grealish’s £300,000-a-week wages reflects their ambition as they prepare for their new Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Haaland’s emotional response resonated with fans, recalling their camaraderie, like when he interrupted Grealish’s 2023 title-winning interview with a boisterous, “I f***ing love you, you know that?” The Norwegian, who scored 34 goals in 48 appearances last season despite City’s trophyless campaign, has often leaned on Grealish’s infectious energy. “We have a great friendship, but he will point at me after a game and say, ‘Hey, don’t you go out tonight partying,’” Haaland once said, highlighting Grealish’s role as the team’s charismatic spark. His social media post, shared as City prepared for their Premier League opener against Wolves, urged Everton fans to “take care of him,” a sentiment echoed across platforms like X, where fans praised their bond.
For Grealish, the move to Everton offers a chance to rediscover the form that made him a star at Villa, where he was a “free-spirited maverick” instrumental in their promotion and Premier League survival. Moyes, a long-time admirer, plans to deploy him as a No. 10, leveraging his creativity to bolster Everton’s attack, which struggled despite a solid defensive record last season. “Jack has the sense of the street, a player from the street,” Guardiola said in February, praising Grealish’s fighting spirit. The loan, with a medical completed on August 11, could see Grealish debut against Leeds on August 18, a critical step toward earning a spot in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the 2026 World Cup. “I was heartbroken,” Grealish said after missing Euro 2024, a wound he hopes to heal with regular play.
Everton’s marquee signing, alongside arrivals like Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Carlos Alcaraz, signals a new era under The Friedkin Group’s ownership. Haaland’s farewell, while bittersweet, reflects optimism for Grealish’s future. “Look at Erling. He is the best professional I have ever seen,” Grealish once said, marveling at Haaland’s discipline. As the duo parts ways, Haaland’s 31 goals in 2024-25 and Ballon d’Or nomination keep him at City’s core, while Grealish aims to reclaim his spark in royal blue, carrying their friendship’s warmth to Merseyside.
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