Silva confirms Everton have rejected a bid from PSG for Idrissa Gueye

Marco Silva has confirmed that Everton have rejected a bid from PSG for Idrissa Gueye, believed to be in the value of £21.5m.

The French champions have been linked with the Senegal international all window but this is the first time they have lodged a formal offer.

Speaking about Gueye at his pre-Huddersfield press conference, Silva said:

“We rejected the offer. He is a really important player for us. We don’t put [players] in the market. For some clubs to come here to buy our players they have to really [meet] the value of the player.

“For this price I cannot see the value.

“You know my opinion since the first day you started speaking about this possible offer. From a technical point of view, as a manager, he is a really important player for us and he is one player we don’t think to lose in this market.

“Of course after some moments it is a matter of money and it is up to the club to decide but from my technical point of view he is a player who is really important for us.”

The final line from Marco is interesting there, suggesting the decision may ultimately be taken out of his hands if an increased offer is made.

It certainly ties in with comments from Sky Sports reporter Vinny O’Connor earlier on Monday, who said that the Toffees would only consider an offer worth double PSG’s original bid:

“Everton want double that figure to entertain selling at this stage. It’s a case of one out, one in but whether there’s time to get someone in if they sell is unclear. They desperately need of a focal point in attack.”

With just three days to go until the transfer deadline, time is running out for Everton to conclude any deals - both incoming and outgoing.

Despite their robust stance, this may also be a negotiating tactic to see whether PSG will indeed make the sort of eye-watering offer that is too good to turn down. If that proves the case then you’d hope the Toffees have a replacement lined-up and are able to get the deal done before Thursday’s deadline.

PSG defender Thomas Meunier has been linked with a possible swap deal for Gueye. Everton are in need of a right-back but if Gueye does leave there will be a gaping hole in midfield and the team will still look short in attack.

Given Gueye turns 30 in September his value is only going to decrease after this window. But while the club may be tempted to cash in, it must depend entirely on their ability to bring in either a direct replacement or a player that improves the squad elsewhere on the pitch. Otherwise we would be simply further weakening the squad at a time where we need all the senior players we can get.