Credit: Imago

James Barker

Wed 1 April 2026 6:30, UK

Tyrique George started England Under-21’s win over Moldova on the bench, as the Everton loanee’s struggles extend to his international career.

George joined Everton in the final hours of the winter transfer window, ending the Toffees’ month-long search for a forward.

Having played just shy of 40 times in Chelsea’s first-team and scoring six times, the 20-year-old is very highly rated at Stamford Bridge.

Therefore, it was hoped he would arrive at Hill Dickinson Stadium and bring something different to David Moyes’ attack, but so far, that’s been anything but the case.

George has played just five times for Everton in the Premier League since joining, which has culminated in a little over 100 minutes of league football on Merseyside.

How did Tyrique George get on for England U21s vs Moldova?

Everton have the option to sign George on a permanent transfer this summer, which was successfully negotiated into his loan agreement with Chelsea.

However, given how little of an impact he’s made in the team at this stage, that might be unlikely depending on just how much faith Toffees chiefs have in his potential.

So, the opportunity for him to go away with England’s Under-21s side during this international break has been a welcome one, offering him the chance to show what he can do with the Three Lions.

He played 90 minutes in the 1-1 draw with Andorra last Friday, but wasn’t able to get on the scoresheet in that disappointing result for England’s youngsters.

As a result, Carsley dropped George to the bench for their game against Moldova on Tuesday night, one which England won 4-1, but the Everton forward didn’t play much of a part.

He came on with 58 minutes on the clock, but he really struggled to get into the game, with Sofascore detailing the fact he took just 15 touches, had zero shots on goal and gave the ball away five times.

Everton have to see some of George’s potential before purchasing

It’s all well and good Everton saying they’ll bank on George’s potential if they trigger his permanent option this summer, but they will need to at least see some glimpses of it before they can feel comfortable doing so.

Up to now, we’ve seen precious little of the player George could turn out to be if the Toffees take a chance on him, and it wouldn’t be a cheap gamble either.

With Moyes’ side showing their own potential for becoming a perennial contender for European football qualification through the Premier League, shrewd and sensible transfer business will determine whether that becomes the case.

Everton have lacked the presence of a proper goal-scoring striker for some time now, and whilst George could be that in the future, is could enough to invest a significant amount of money in him this summer?