Everton Near Deal for Tyrique George as Chelsea Restructures

Everton are on the brink of turning Tyrique George’s brief audition into a full-time role on Merseyside, with a deal close for the Chelsea winger after his loan spell last season.

The 20-year-old arrived in January with an option to buy set at £25m. Everton have gone back to the table and are now understood to be reshaping that into a lower initial fee bolstered by add-ons – a structure that suits a club still walking a financial tightrope, but determined to arm David Moyes with more attacking depth.

George’s numbers were modest – 11 appearances, only one start – yet he clearly did enough in four months to convince Moyes. The Scot publicly praised the youngster in May, calling him “an excellent boy” with an “excellent work-rate” when quizzed on a permanent move before the final game of the season. Those words now look less like encouragement and more like a preview of the club’s summer business.

Everton reshape Moyes’ midfield

The push for George is only one part of a wider rebuild. Everton are also finalising a £16m move for Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney, a deal that would add legs and composure in the middle of the pitch.

Merlin Rohl, who impressed on loan from SC Freiburg last season, is also set to stay. The attacking midfielder’s temporary stint is expected to become a permanent transfer, underlining Moyes’ desire to lock in the core of the side that helped stabilise the club in the second half of the campaign.

There is change at the other end of the age spectrum. Idrissa Gana Gueye and Seamus Coleman, two stalwarts of the dressing room, have departed following the expiry of their contracts. Their exits close a chapter of leadership and experience, and pile extra importance on the character and consistency of the new arrivals.

George, a Chelsea academy product, has effectively been in the shop window for a year. He held talks with RB Leipzig last summer, and a £22m move to Fulham was set up only to collapse on deadline day in September 2025. Everton now stand ready to take advantage.

Chelsea clear the decks for Xabi Alonso

At Stamford Bridge, George’s likely departure fits a broader pattern. Chelsea are in the middle of another reset, this time under new manager Xabi Alonso, and the focus is as much on trimming as it is on signing.

They have already brought in Marco Palestra from Atalanta and remain keen on Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix, Como’s Jacobo Ramon and Rayo Vallecano full-back Pep Chavarria. The recruitment drive continues, but the context has changed.

A 10th-place finish in the Premier League and no European football mean fewer fixtures, less broadcast and matchday income, and less margin for error. Chelsea are also still operating under a Uefa settlement agreement for the next three seasons after breaching financial regulations last summer. Every incoming player now demands an outgoing one.

Player sales are therefore not a side note; they are central to the plan. Real Madrid have registered interest in Enzo Fernandez. Como and Inter Milan are among the clubs looking at Trevoh Chalobah. The futures of Benoit Badiashile, Tosin Adarabioyo and Wesley Fofana remain unresolved, as do those of forwards Alejandro Garnacho and Liam Delap.

For George, that congestion has opened the door. For Everton, it is an opportunity to secure a young winger who has already shown he can handle the demands of Moyes’ touchline. As Chelsea cut down and recalibrate, one of their academy products looks set to help fuel a new phase at Goodison Park.