Everton have one month to decide whether to sign Tyrique George permanently from Chelsea, as a reliable source plays down suggestions that Xabi Alonso wants him back at Stamford Bridge.
The Toffees signed George from Chelsea in the January transfer window on loan. The deal gives them the option to sign him permanently for around £22million, though the player would still have to agree to the switch.
The 20-year-old put in some positive performances off the bench for Everton, but was given limited opportunities by David Moyes and started just one league game.
George’s loan spell with Everton officially ends on June 30th, as per Transfermarkt, so therefore the club have until then to decide whether to take up their option-to-buy.
According to BBC Sport, Everton are ‘still weighing up’ whether to trigger the option. The overwhelming feeling amongst supporters, however, is that he should be retained.
Moyes was asked about the future of Manchester City loanee Jack Grealish last week, and in his response added that he is ‘happy’ with George, too.
“At the moment, they go back to their clubs and we’ll take it from there,” Moyes said. “As the summer goes on, we’ll decide what path we’re going to take on both of them. We like Tyrique, obviously we like Jack a lot – but we’ve not got an answer [yet]. 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.”
READ NEXT– Everton launch ‘enquiry’ for £8.6m-rated full-back as Moyes eyes crucial DOUBLE signing
Everton must make speedy George decision
BBC Sport have also denied recent claims that new Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has told George that he wants him back at Stamford Bridge next season.
This comes as a boost for Everton, as given that George must agree to stay, any kind of promises made by Alonso could have affected his thinking.
As things stand, George’s future is in Everton and the player’s hands and it remains to be seen whether the Merseysiders pay the money and keep him on a permanent deal.
The George dilemma comes amid uncertainty surrounding the future of Dwight McNeil.
He came close to joining Crystal Palace in January before the move dramatically collapsed on deadline day. It is plausible that the Toffees would be open to selling McNeil again, with his contract expiring in the summer of 2027.
Tyler Dibling, meanwhile, remains highly rated at Everton but has so far failed to make his mark since his £40million (including add-ons) switch from Southampton last summer.
Retaining both George and Grealish therefore makes good sense for Everton but whether deals with Chelsea and Man City are completed remains to be seen.
Everton must make up their mind in the next month on George, however, as other sides would no doubt be keen to sign him should they decide against it.
Want more breaking news and transfer lines from original sources? Add TEAMtalk as a preferred source on Googleto your favourites list for news you can trust.