Tyrique George is back at the centre of an Everton move that is still being worked on rather than wrapped up. The clubs are close to turning his loan spell into a permanent transfer, but the structure is being renegotiated after his 11 appearances and one start on Merseyside.

Everton's revised deal for George

The original loan agreement included a £25m option to buy, but that figure is no longer the shape of the deal. Chelsea and Everton have now moved to an upfront fee with add-ons, which is the detail that needs to be completed before anything is official.

Everton are also finalising a £16m deal for Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney, so this is not a single-track bit of business. George still looks like a player the club want, though, and David Moyes was clear enough about why.

In May, Moyes described him as "an excellent boy" with an "excellent work-rate" when asked about a permanent move. That praise fits the wider picture here. George's loan was short, but it was long enough for Everton to decide he was worth another conversation.

What his loan suggested

George's 11 appearances were built around cameos, not long stretches in the side. He started once, and his last five Everton appearances totalled 109 minutes, so the case for keeping him is based on brief spells that looked useful rather than eye-catching volume.

That does not mean the spell was empty. He created chances for Thierno Barry, Iliman Ndiaye and Jake O'Brien against West Ham United, Crystal Palace and Sunderland, and he forced an excellent save from Antonin Kinsky in stoppage time against Tottenham Hotspur. Those are the sort of moments clubs remember when they are deciding whether to buy.

His recent numbers are steady rather than spectacular, with a 6.8 average rating across his last five Everton appearances and a best mark of 7.3 against Sunderland. That is enough to keep the door open, especially when the manager who watched him up close is already speaking in positive terms.

The move is still described as close rather than done, so the only firm conclusion is that Everton clearly want George back, and they want him on terms they prefer. The next step is whether the clubs can settle the fee structure before the deal is announced.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 6 outlets. How we work →