Nigeria’s technical bench will be watching closely as the winger, who could still choose between three national teams, gets his permanent Premier League move.
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Everton have agreed a permanent deal with Chelsea to sign winger Tyrique George in a transfer worth up to £24 million, according to Soccernet.ng, in a move that will also interest Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle given the 20 year old’s Nigerian eligibility.
Details of the agreement, reported by the BBC, show Everton will pay £18 million upfront, with a further £6 million payable if George hits certain appearance and European qualification targets. Chelsea have also negotiated a 15 percent sell-on clause, meaning they stand to benefit from any future sale.
A Loan Spell That Convinced Everton
Everton had the option to sign George for £25 million after his loan spell but chose not to trigger it, instead returning to the table to agree a lower guaranteed fee. George spent the second half of last season on loan at Goodison Park, making 11 Premier League appearances and impressing manager David Moyes with his energy, pace and directness. The move becomes permanent once George passes a medical and finalises personal terms, and represents Everton’s second major signing of the summer following the arrival of midfielder Hayden Hackney from Middlesbrough.
Nigeria, England Or Ghana
George’s situation carries an added layer of interest in Nigeria because he remains uncapped at senior international level and is therefore still eligible to choose between three countries. Born in Camden, London, he qualifies for Nigeria through his father and for Ghana through his mother, in addition to England, where he has represented every youth level up to the under-21s.
Despite his England youth caps, George has spoken about his Nigerian heritage in a past Chelsea interview, comments that reportedly brought him onto the NFF’s radar as Chelle continues searching for dual nationality talent to strengthen his squad.
A Cobham Graduate Squeezed Out By Chelsea’s Recruitment
George is regarded as one of the standout graduates of Chelsea’s Cobham academy, which he joined at just eight years old before progressing through every youth level. He broke into Chelsea’s senior side during the 2024-25 season under Enzo Maresca, scoring his first senior goal in the UEFA Conference League and picking up the club’s Men’s Academy Player of the Year award.
However, Chelsea’s heavy investment in attacking talent, including the arrivals of Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, Alejandro Garnacho and Estevao, limited his path to regular first-team football, prompting his loan move to Everton in February 2026. That temporary switch has now become permanent on the back of his form on Merseyside.
Should George continue to establish himself as a regular starter at Everton, his prospects of earning a first senior call up look set to improve, though England and Ghana remain firmly in contention for his international future alongside Nigeria.
📌 Did You Know?
- George joined Chelsea’s Cobham academy at age eight and progressed through every youth level at the club.
- He scored his first senior Chelsea goal in the UEFA Conference League during the 2024-25 season.
- George has represented England from under-15 level up to the under-21s, but remains uncapped at senior level.
- Everton’s deal for George follows the earlier signing of midfielder Hayden Hackney from Middlesbrough this summer.
- A 15 percent sell-on clause means Chelsea will receive a share of any future transfer fee should Everton sell George on.
- Eric Chelle has actively pursued dual nationality players in recent transfer windows as he looks to strengthen Nigeria’s talent pool.
