Moyes Keeps Options Open on Grealish and George as Everton Eyes Summer Moves
Jack Grealish’s Everton story may yet prove to be a one‑season cameo. It might also be the prelude to something far more permanent. For now, David Moyes is refusing to commit either way.
The Everton manager confirmed that both Grealish and Tyrique George are, as things stand, heading back to their parent clubs, with no decision made on whether the loans will be turned into full-time deals.
“We've got two players on loan and, obviously, at the moment, they go back to their clubs and we'll take it from there,” Moyes said ahead of this week’s meeting with Tottenham. “As the summer goes on, we'll decide what path we're going to take on both of them.”
It leaves two very different loan stories hanging in the air.
Grealish’s Interrupted Revival
Grealish arrived from Manchester City last summer under pressure to prove he could still bend Premier League games to his will. For long stretches, he did exactly that.
Before a foot injury cut his season short, the 30-year-old had re-established himself as a creative force, scoring twice and providing six assists in 18 Premier League starts. His influence was growing, his understanding with Everton’s attackers sharpening, and Goodison had started to feel like a stage made for his swagger.
Then came the break in his foot. Season over. Momentum halted.
The injury has been serious enough to require surgery and a pin, but Moyes offered a notably upbeat bulletin on Grealish’s recovery.
“We've looked after Jack since his injury and his injury is coming on,” he said. “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.
“Normally a player would go back to their parent club [when injured] and be looked after from there but we'll continue doing our best for Jack.”
That last line matters. Grealish is due to return to a Manchester City side about to be reshaped under new management, with Pep Guardiola stepping down and a new head coach walking into a dressing room full of big decisions. Grealish is under contract at the Etihad until 2027, but his Everton spell has reminded the league what he can still offer when trusted and central.
Whether that prompts City to fold him back into their plans or opens the door for Everton to explore a permanent move will define one of the more intriguing transfer subplots of the summer.
George Waiting in the Wings
If Grealish has already shown what he can do in royal blue, Tyrique George is still waiting for his real audition.
The 20-year-old forward arrived from Chelsea in January with the usual fanfare that surrounds young talent crossing from a top-six academy to a club promising opportunity. The reality has been more modest: just one Premier League start and 182 league minutes in total.
Yet Moyes made a point of praising George’s attitude and application.
“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 on the pitch are slim. The impression off it, clearly, is not. For a manager who values work-rate and professionalism as much as raw talent, that counts.
Everton must now decide whether those glimpses and that character are enough to justify a longer commitment, or whether George’s development is better served back at Chelsea or on another loan.
Mykolenko Deal Nears Completion
While the futures of Grealish and George remain open, one key piece of business is close to being tied down. Moyes confirmed the club are “very close” to agreeing a new deal with Vitalii Mykolenko, a move that would lock in a defender who has grown into a reliable presence on the left.
Securing Mykolenko would offer stability in one area of the pitch as Everton weigh more complex, more expensive decisions further forward.
For now, the message from Moyes is clear: admiration for both loanees, no rush to commit, and a willingness to let the summer market and the players’ situations elsewhere shape what comes next.
Grealish’s foot is healing. George is still knocking on the door. The question is simple enough, even if the answer is not: when Everton finally choose their path, which of these two will still be walking it with them?
