Moyes Keeps Cards Close on Grealish and George as Everton Plans Summer Moves
David Moyes is in no rush. Not with Jack Grealish. Not with Tyrique George. And not with an Everton squad that suddenly has some big decisions to make.
The Everton manager confirmed this week that both loan players are, for now, heading back to their parent clubs, with no firm call yet on whether either will be pursued on a permanent deal.
“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 Everton’s clash with Tottenham. “As the summer goes on, we'll decide what path we're going to take on both of them.”
Grealish: a bright spark cut short
Grealish’s year at Goodison began with a sense of renewal. A season-long loan from Manchester City offered the 30-year-old a reset, and for a while he grabbed it. Operating with freedom and responsibility, he delivered two goals and six assists in 18 Premier League starts, knitting Everton’s attacks together with the kind of craft that once made him the heartbeat of Aston Villa.
Then came the break. A serious foot injury ended his season abruptly and left his future hanging in the balance.
Moyes made it clear Everton have not simply parked him to one side.
“We like Tyrique, obviously we like Jack a lot – but we've not got an answer yet,” he said. “We've looked after Jack since his injury and his injury is coming on. 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.”
That detail matters. Under normal circumstances, an injured loanee would be sent back to his parent club for rehabilitation. Everton chose differently.
“Normally a player would go back to their parent club and be looked after from there,” Moyes added, “but we'll continue doing our best for Jack.”
It is a small but telling sign of how highly they regard him. Grealish, contracted at City until 2027, will return to a club preparing for life after Pep Guardiola, with a new manager to impress and a squad to reshuffle. Everton, watching from a distance, know his next few months could define whether a permanent move is realistic or even possible.
George: raw, trusted, and waiting
At the other end of the experience scale sits Tyrique George. The 20-year-old arrived from Chelsea in January with promise rather than pedigree, and his minutes have reflected that: one Premier League start, 182 league minutes in total.
On paper, it is a thin body of work. On the training ground, Moyes has clearly seen more.
“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 Everton manager said.
That word – work-rate – often decides careers under Moyes. George has not yet had the platform to showcase his full attacking range, but his attitude has given him a foothold. Whether that is enough to convince Everton to negotiate with Chelsea is another matter, and one that will play out as the market opens and other priorities crowd in.
For now, both loanees sit in the same holding pattern: admired, appreciated, but unresolved.
Mykolenko close to new deal
One situation is far clearer. Moyes confirmed Everton are “very close” to tying down Vitalii Mykolenko to a new contract, a move that would secure one of the club’s most consistent performers.
In a summer of uncertainty, that represents stability in a key position and offers a glimpse of the squad profile Moyes wants to build around: committed, reliable, and entering prime years.
The bigger calls, though, revolve around flair and upside. Can Everton afford to keep Grealish, both financially and structurally, if City open the door? Do they back George’s potential now, before his value spikes elsewhere? Or does the club, still navigating financial constraints and rebuilding plans, choose a different route entirely?
Moyes is not saying yet. The loans are over. The real decisions start now.
