Moyes Evaluates Grealish and George as Everton Plans Ahead

Jack Grealish’s short, sharp Everton story may not be finished yet – but David Moyes is in no rush to write the next chapter.

The Everton manager confirmed the club have not decided whether to turn the loan deals for Grealish and Tyrique George into permanent transfers, with both players due to return to their parent clubs this summer.

“They go back to their clubs and we’ll take it from there,” Moyes said at his pre-Spurs press conference. “As the summer goes on, we’ll decide what path we’re going to take on both of them.”

Grealish’s interrupted revival

Grealish arrived from Manchester City on a season-long loan last summer, a marquee signing for a side trying to add guile and experience in the final third. For a while, it worked.

Before a foot injury abruptly cut his season short, the 30-year-old had begun to look like a player reborn. Two goals and six assists in 18 Premier League starts only tell part of the story; his influence on Everton’s attacking play was obvious, his ability to carry the ball and draw defenders giving Moyes a different dimension in tight games.

Then came the break. A serious foot injury, pinned and repaired, stopped his momentum in an instant.

“We’ve looked after Jack since his injury and his injury is coming on,” Moyes explained. “He had quite a bad break in his foot, which has been pinned and it’s looking in good order now. The surgeon has been speaking very well about it and thinks it’s healing greatly.”

In most cases, an injured loanee would have been sent back to their parent club for treatment. Everton chose a different route.

“Normally a player would go back to their parent club and be looked after from there,” Moyes said, “but we’ll continue doing our best for Jack.”

That decision hints at the respect Grealish has earned at Finch Farm. Whether it translates into a permanent offer is another matter entirely.

Grealish is due back at City, who themselves are stepping into a new era after confirming Pep Guardiola’s decision to step down. The England international remains under contract at the Etihad until 2027, and any negotiation will have to navigate City’s valuation, Everton’s budget and the player’s own ambitions under a new manager in Manchester.

George still an Everton project

If Grealish arrived as a headline act, Tyrique George was more of a long-term investment. The 20-year-old joined from Chelsea in January, a highly regarded prospect but untested at Premier League level.

His game time has been sparse. One league start, 182 Premier League minutes in total – hardly a platform to make a definitive judgment. Yet Moyes’ language around the youngster was notably warm.

“We like Tyrique, obviously we like Jack a lot – but we’ve not got an answer yet,” he said. “We’ve enjoyed having Tyrique here – he’s been an excellent boy and his work-rate and everything has been excellent, so we’re happy with him.”

The numbers may be modest, but George has clearly made an impression on the training pitch. For a club that has increasingly had to think carefully about resale value and age profile, the decision on the Chelsea academy product may be as intriguing as the one on the proven star.

Mykolenko deal edging closer

Amid the uncertainty over the loanees, there was firmer news on a player already embedded in the Everton back line. Moyes confirmed the club are “very close” to agreeing a new deal with Vitalii Mykolenko, a key figure in the defence and one of the more reliable performers in a turbulent period.

Locking down Mykolenko’s future would give Everton a measure of stability in a summer that promises change. The same cannot yet be said for Grealish and George.

For now, both are heading back to Manchester City and Chelsea respectively. The medical reports on Grealish are positive, George’s attitude has impressed, and Moyes has made it clear he values them.

The real question is how much that admiration will be backed by hard cash when the market opens and the squad rebuild begins in earnest.