We may have managed to hold onto Idrissa Gana Gueye in the winter when Paris Saint-Germain came knocking, but the after-effects of the Parisian outfit’s efforts are still doing the rounds on the Grand Old Team forum.
Toffees supporters on the platform have been discussing whether or not we should sell our 5 ft 7 midfield anchor in the summer, with a lot of fans hopeful that, no matter what happens, we begin the 2019/20 season with the Senegal international in our ranks.
It may not be that easy, though, as Gueye made it no secret in the weeks after the window slammed shut that he would have liked the board to sanction his move back to the Ligue 1. He even told L’Equipe that it is a dream of his to join one of the world’s best teams and play in the Champions League, after we rejected a £26.2million offer on Deadline Day.
More recently, Marco Silva worryingly admitted that he cannot control the 29-year-old’s future, either, stating: “He is an important player, and will continue being an important player, but about what can happen in the summer or not, this is something I cannot control.”
What’s more is that we are still being linked with potential replacements for Gueye, as well, with L’Equipe claiming at the start of the month that LOSC Lille’s Thiago Mendes has remained on our radar.
Fans, though, would clearly prefer that it is Gueye anchoring our midfield next season:
“I was saying to take the £30m, but he looks like a £40m player these days, and I have come round to the thinking that I would rather just have the £7m bargain price and lose that, than make £23m off him.” – Tel001 (April 23, 06:26)
“Why sell a player who week in week out is one of our best players, particularly when we’ve got so much rubbish out on loan and on the bench that needs shifting. How about keeping the good players and fix the positions that need strengthening instead.” – Cronullasharks (April 23, 06:46)
“I know there has been super inflation in football since we signed him, but talking a minimum £23m is staggering, it’d be hard to refuse for a 30-year-old. Now my stance is that Gana is one of the best in the business at what he does. I’ve been quoted in the past as saying this, but adding that he’s very limited in what he can’t do, his passing etc. were limited and it held him back. Even at 30, he’s improving tenfold for me each game and I’d be against selling him. But if the club have said to him, that they won’t stand in his way again if PSG come calling, which is my fear, then he’ll probably end up leaving come July.” – Barney Gumble (April 23, 07:05)
“Hope he stays. His attitude is top notch and he’s been as good as ever.” – Granter79 (April 23, 10:17)
“Gueye could easily go until he is 34-35. He is ridiculously fit. £30m is buttons. People need to realise how much players cost these days. You would struggle to get Troy Deeney for £30m for example.” – Papa Shango (April 23, 10:22)
“I’d like us to keep hold of him. Will take wads of cash to replace what he brings to the team. But keeping him doesn’t represent a £7m loss if offers of £30m come in again. That’s millions of pounds of profit “lost”. Depends on what the transfer budget is going to look like but the club might not consider itself in a position to turn down that kind of money for a rapidly depreciating asset if it needs the funds to get in our targets…” – The Missing Lineker (April 23, 13:16)
“I can understand the logic in selling him, but if was down to logic alone, I wouldn’t still be watching Everton. Save logic for Walcott instead, by selling him to Wisconsin Wednesday of the MLS, or the Mongolian league.” – Abelard (April 23, 13:29)