Everton's move to bring Paris Saint-Germain star Idrissa Gueye back to the club has drawn immense praise from former Premier League goalkeeper Paul Robinson.

The lowdown: Fan favourite

During his distinguished first spell on Merseyside, Gueye endeared himself to the Goodison Park faithful whilst amassing 108 outings for the Toffees.

The 32-year-old Senegal international has since made 111 appearances for PSG, taking his overall domestic career tally to 431, including spells at Lille and Aston Villa.

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Upon hearing the reputable Fabrizio Romano confirm that a return to Merseyside is close for Gueye, one pundit has provided his verdict on the transfer...

The latest: 'Be excited'

Speaking to Football Insider, ex-England stopper turned Sky Sports contributor Robinson claimed that bringing the 94-cap stalwart back to Everton is a shrewd move from Frank Lampard.

He said: “To be able to get him back would be good. He did not play a lot at PSG but he is a talented player, of that there’s no doubt.

“He is a player that Frank has obviously wanted. Frank knows they have to freshen it up. They cannot have the same situation as last season. A club of that size and stature should not be fighting relegation.

“Gueye would enhance their chances of improving upon last season. Having a player like that at the base of the midfield will help the likes of Dele Alli. I expect we will see a different Alli this year. In an Everton side on the front foot you will get a much better Alli. He will be like a new signing.

“There’s reasons to be excited.”

The verdict: Spot on

A deal is now thought to be very close, and adding a player of the defensive acumen of Gueye to the midfield ranks will undoubtedly be a huge boost to Lampard's plans. It may indeed up the likes of Dele Alli to express themselves further up the pitch without the shackles of carrying out too much in the way of defensive duty.

Coming from an ultra attack-minded team such as PSG, containing the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar, all of whom have little defensive responsibility, the Senegalese workhorse has made a career out of his ability to break up play and stop opposition attacks, previously being likened to N'Golo Kante by ex-Blues boss Sam Allardyce.

Last season, Gueye earned an impressive 7.04 Sofascore rating whilst winning 4.0 duels, making 2.3 tackles and completing 93 per cent of all passes on average per Ligue 1 appearance - showcasing that aforementioned defensive prowess and an ability to recycle possession effectively.

Clearly still a more than capable elite-level operator, having obtained further trophy-winning and UEFA Champions League experience, Everton could be welcoming back an even better performer than the first time around.

Coupled with a new striker arrival amidst links to Maxwel Cornet and Armando Broja, there could well be reasons for optimism in the blue half of Merseyside.