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There’s been another twist in the Idrissa Gueye story as French giants Paris St. Germain continue to pursue the midfielder with Everton playing coy.
The usually-reliable L’Equipe are reporting that following the introduction of super-agent Pini Zehavi to the negotiations, there has been some progress but the two clubs still have some way to go before an agreement.
PSG have now lost midfielder Marco Verratti to injury and are even more desperate to get in a replacement hence their urgency, and the outlet goes on to report that the Senegalese international is open to the move.
It will not be a surprise to see Everton hold out for the maximum payday from the Paris side, but at the same time be mindful that Gana’s value will never be higher than it is now. What is certainly interesting is if the Blues have a replacement already lined up or are in the process of doing so which would explain why they continue to play hardball with PSG.
The ubiquitous Pini Zahavi transmitted the offer - which Everton have rejected - although whereas Everton had previously been demanding 40m, they are now thought to be ready to accept 30-35m.
— Jeremy Smith (@jeremysmith98) January 21, 2019
Mindful of the urgency, following Verratti's injury, PSG are keen to complete a deal within 24-48 hours. They're also still keen to bring in a second midfielder, with Napoli's Allan the latest candidate to emerge - although a 60m fee may be too prohibitive.
— Jeremy Smith (@jeremysmith98) January 21, 2019
Another new revelation from this report is that Gueye himself is interested, reaching out to current PSG players to find out what Thomas Tuchel is like among other things.
Gueye has been a model professional during his time at Everton, and there is no reason to expect any different from him even when it looks like he’s closer to a move than not.