Tyrique George backed to make Everton transfer and emulate inspired signing

That’s the verdict of former England international Glen Johnson. A fellow Londoner, Johnson’s career also took him from Stamford Bridge to Merseyside – in his case via a stint at Portsmouth – going on to play 200 games for Liverpool between 2009-15, but he reckons George could be an inspired purchase for their local rivals.

Following a stress fracture injury to Jack Grealish’s foot in January that would keep the first £100million English footballer out for the remainder of the season, the Blues dipped into the loan market again to snap up George from Chelsea on transfer deadline day of the winter window with an option to make the move permanent in the summer. The wide attacker, who has scored six goals in 37 games for Chelsea, made 11 appearances for Everton, 10 of which were off the bench, totalling 210 minutes of action.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference to preview the final game of the season at Tottenham Hotspur, Blues boss Moyes said: “We’ve got two players on loan, Tyrique and Jack. Obviously, at the moment, they go back to their clubs and we’ll take it from there.

“As the summer goes on, we’ll decide on what path we’re going to take on both of them. We like Tyrique, obviously we like Jack a lot.

“We’ve not got an answer for you if you’re going to throw me a Jack Grealish question in a minute or two as well. I’ve told you, we’ve enjoyed having Tyrique here, he’s been an excellent boy and he’s work rate and everything has been excellent, so we’re happy with him.”

Johnson though is in no doubt over the decision he believes Hill Dickinson Stadium chiefs should make. Speaking courtesy of LiveFootballTickets, he said: “Tyrique George is a fantastic player, and I think a permanent move to Everton would be good for him.

“I think he suits them nicely and he is talented enough to be really productive for them. I think Everton could really unlock his talents next season if they choose to sign him, similarly to how they did with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall last season.

“Tyrique needs to be playing football week in, week out to improve as a player, and I think a fresh start for him at Everton would be beneficial to both parties. I think Everton would allow him to express his talent and if they did that his £20million buyout clause would look like a steal.”

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