'Single biggest cost' - Jack Grealish loan to Everton gives Man City 'huge' boost says finance expert
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Credit: Manh Tung - Breaking Media / Hasan Karim - Breaking Media
Ben Palmer
Wed 27 August 2025 16:19, UK
Man City have received a bigger financial boost than many would assume by loaning Jack Grealish to Everton.
That is the verdict of football finance expert Dan Plumley, who told Football Insider exclusively that the Sky Blues have received a sizeable boost to their compliance with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR).
Since January of this year, Pep Guardiola’s side has spent £339million [transfermarkt] on new additions in an attempt to avoid another trophyless season.
Tijjani Rejinders has joined from AC Milan, Rayan Cherki swapped Lyon for City, and James Trafford rejected the chance to join Newcastle, favouring a return to his boyhood club after two seasons with Burnley.
But whilst there have been no huge sales during that time period, barring Julian Alvarez’s move to Atletico Madrid, there have been several departures which have helped offset the costs of bringing in so many new players.
Credit: Imago
This article contains exclusive comment from Dan Plumley, a football finance expert and senior lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University.
Everton are understood to be paying 75% of Grealish’s wages for his loan spell at the Hill Dickinson this season.
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The England international earns £300,000-a-week [The Athletic], meaning that the Toffees are covering £225,000-a-week of his salary for the duration of his stay.
Grealish is not the only high-earner who has departed this summer, as Kevin De Bruyne‘s move to Napoli has removed £20million per year from their wage bill [MailOnline].
Plumley explained to Football Insider exclusively why this mattered so much, saying: “That’s the thing we perhaps don’t often look at with transfers as much.
Credit: Imago
“You fixate on the fee and the money coming in and money going out for players, but the wage bill is a substantial component of cost.
It’s still the single biggest cost to a football club across the course of a season.
“That number, we know, goes against the bottom line for PSR as well, so it is a huge factor in how your cost looks from a player perspective.
“Because the bulk of that’s going to be player wages, and with Grealish, he wasn’t gonna play as much as he perhaps had in the early days of his City career.
“You have to make those judgment calls of, okay, we’ve got players here that are sat not really getting into the first team, and we’re paying them an awful lot of money.
“We never expected Everton to be able to cover the whole amount going the other way, but for Everton to cover some of that, and for City to save a little bit on his wages in this coming year, is an important component of cost.”
Grealish’s departure and salary savings mean there is now a void to fill at left wing, and the funds to sign a replacement.
Man City are interested in signing Rodrygo from Real Madrid, and will push ahead with a deal independently of Savinho’s potential exit, Mick Brown told Football Insider exclusively.
Credit: Manh Tung, Breaking Media
The Brazil international has been phased out by Xabi Alonso since the Spaniard’s return to the Spanish capital as manager.
However, City will need to stave off interest from Liverpool in the former Santos winger, as Arne Slot is also keen to add to his attacking options before the window closes.