Moyes Keeps Options Open on Grealish and George as Everton Plan Summer Moves

David Moyes is in no rush. With the season winding down and decisions looming, the Everton manager has made it clear that the futures of Jack Grealish and Tyrique George remain firmly in the “to be decided” pile.

Two loans. Two very different stories. One big call for the club.

Grealish conundrum as City reset

Grealish arrived from Manchester City last summer with something to prove and, for a time, he delivered exactly what Everton hoped for. Before a cruel foot injury cut him down, the 30-year-old had begun to stitch himself into the fabric of Moyes’s side.

Eighteen Premier League starts. Two goals. Six assists. The numbers only tell part of it; Everton looked more inventive with him on the pitch, more willing to take risks in the final third. Then came the break in his foot, the surgery, the pins. Season over.

Ordinarily, an injured loanee would be packed off back to his parent club. Not Grealish. Everton have kept him close, overseeing his rehab at Finch Farm.

“We've looked after Jack since his injury,” Moyes explained at his pre‑Tottenham press conference. The manager revealed the surgeon is “speaking very well” about the progress, the fracture “pinned” and “healing greatly”. The medical news is upbeat. The contractual picture is anything but simple.

Grealish returns, on paper at least, to a City side about to step into a new era. Pep Guardiola is on his way out, a seismic change at the Etihad that could alter the pecking order for every player in that dressing room. Grealish is contracted until 2027, which gives City leverage and Everton a headache.

Moyes did not disguise his admiration. “We like Tyrique, obviously we like Jack a lot – but we've not got an answer yet,” he said. For Everton, liking Grealish is one thing. Funding a permanent deal, in a market where City hold the cards, is another.

The decision can wait, Moyes insists. “At the moment, they go back to their clubs and we'll take it from there. As the summer goes on, we'll decide what path we're going to take on both of them.” The message is clear: no emotional calls, no early gambles.

George impresses in the shadows

If Grealish’s season was high-impact then abruptly halted, Tyrique George’s has barely had time to get going.

The 20-year-old forward joined from Chelsea in January with the usual fanfare that greets a youngster leaving a big academy for opportunity elsewhere. The reality has been harsh. One Premier League start. Just 182 league minutes. Cameos rather than chances.

Yet Moyes’s tone when he speaks about George is strikingly warm.

“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 boss said. The phrase “excellent boy” might sound old-fashioned, but from Moyes it is a marker of trust. Attitude, application, willingness to graft – George is ticking all the boxes behind the scenes, even if the public evidence is thin.

That creates a different kind of dilemma. Everton have seen enough to like the player, but not enough minutes to be certain what he can offer across a full campaign. Do they back their judgement on character and potential, or push the decision down the line and risk losing him?

Mykolenko deal close as Everton shape their core

While the futures of Grealish and George hang in the balance, one piece of business is close to completion. Moyes confirmed Everton are “very close” to agreeing a new deal for Vitalii Mykolenko, a move that underlines where the club see their long-term spine.

Locking down a reliable left-back gives Everton a platform. The attacking jigsaw around him remains fluid.

The contrast is stark. Mykolenko, settled and secured. Grealish, rehabbing and waiting to hear what the new Manchester City regime thinks of him. George, training hard and hoping that quiet praise behind closed doors turns into a permanent contract.

For now, Moyes is content to keep his options open. The manager knows the market will move after Euro tournaments, after managerial changes, after the first big transfers land. Everton will have to decide whether Grealish is the marquee risk worth taking and whether George is the project worth backing.

The question is simple, even if the answer is not: when the summer dust settles, will either loanee still be wearing blue at Goodison Park?