Everton's Groundhog Day transfer rumour is back

It’s a dreadful nightmare that we all sometimes find ourselves dreaming of - when you wake up and you seem to be stuck in a time loop that you end up cycling through, again and again.

Such has become Paris St. Germain’s pursuit of Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye, as reported by Le Parisien (via Get French Football News).

The French giants have been banging on the doors at Finch Farm for so long now that the player could be reaching an age where he’s outlived his usefulness when compared to the payout the Blues could receive for him.

The recent rumours also add that Manchester United are interested in his services too, having lost Anders Herrera over the summer. However, Gueye’s representatives insist nothing will be resolved until after the Africa Cup of Nations Final on Friday.

“The future of Idrissa will be decided after AFCON. PSG are a serious option, but he is concentrating on the final and will decide on his future next week. It is a project that could interest him but there are also other clubs in the race. We have to remain prudent, like the last window proved.

“The 31st January, we thought that things would happen. There was disappointment but Idrissa was very professional and was able to jump back into a good second half of the season.”

Does anyone even remember when PSG started pursuing Gana? Was it two or three years ago? As Gueye himself admitted, there is a certain inevitability that for a French-speaking player the calling to join PSG remains a dream. Everton have also indicated that they will not stand in the way of the player if he does want to make the switch, but only on condition that their terms are met as far as the transfer fee.

That sum, depending on who you ask, is somewhere in the €30-35 million range. It may seem like a lot for a player who turns 30 early this coming season, but with the physical game he plays and how durable Gueye has proven to be, seems like excellent value for a huge club like PSG replete with midfielders they can spell him with.

Everton still have a good deal of leverage here. Gana is under contract until 2023, which is an eternity, and PSG know it, which is why this deal hasn’t happened yet despite all the pieces appearing to be in place. The French side also have financial fair play issues they need to stay on the right side of, but that’s murky waters considering they’ve already been splashing the cash this summer and Neymar apparently could be leaving.

Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images

The Toffees will certainly want to make sure they have a replacement lined up for the model professional, which they might well have - Marcel Brands has shown he acts decisively and with quickness when needed.

Enough has already been said about Gueye’s performances in the royal blue shirt; simply put, he has been one of the very best Everton players over the last few years. While he may have limitations in the attacking half of the pitch, Marco Silva will certainly hate to lose the defensive workrate that the Senegal international puts in.

In the end, if Gana wants to leave, as fans we can only thank him for his efforts and wish him the very best in his future. And trust that Brands knows what direction to take us in after his exit.