Everton are looking to complete a deal quickly after hitting a stumbling block in their pursuit of Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Idrissa Gueye, according to David Ornstein of The Athletic.
The Lowdown: Everton’s pursuit
Back at the end of July, reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano revealed the Toffees had approached the Ligue 1 giants over a potential move for the 32-year-old, with the club keen to sell him this summer.
Just a few days later, Romano shared an update on the progress of the transfer, in which he claimed Everton were closing in on a deal with PSG to sign the Senegal international on a permanent basis.
Nearly a full month later however and the deal is still not complete...
The Latest: Ornstein’s news
In his latest transfer roundup for The Athletic ahead of Thursday’s deadline, Ornstein dropped a fresh update on Everton’s pursuit of Gueye, revealing his arrival at Goodison Park remains a priority for Frank Lampard.
According to his report, an agreement has been in place with the player and PSG for some time but there is still no movement between all the parties to actually finalise his move.
The Toffees want a quick resolution to the situation, otherwise they will move on to pursuing other targets ahead of Thursday’s transfer deadline.
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The Lowdown: Get it done
Having left Goodison Park in 2019 to join the French outfit, the midfielder’s return to Merseyside would certainly be welcomed by Blues fans.
During his three-year stint as a Toffee, Gueye made 108 appearances in an Everton shirt, quickly becoming a fan favourite with his ability to win the ball back in the middle of the park.
Despite worries about his age damaging his effectiveness as a holding midfielder, his underlying stats indicate he still has the attributes needed to succeed in the Premier League.
As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, the 32-year-old incredibly ranks in the 98th percentile for pass completion, in the 96th percentile for pressures and in the 88th percentile for tackles.
Hailed as a ‘machine’ with ‘breathtaking’ stamina by pundit Micah Richards, this certainly seems to be a strong addition to Lampard’s squad, so let’s hope the club can get the deal over the line in time.