It is beginning to become concerning that Everton have not announced an extended contract for Idrissa Gana Gueye. On top of that, rumors are flying that the deal is not as close as some may have initially thought.
So it seems time to revisit a thought experiment focused on where Everton could turn in the event that Gana does leave when his contract ends on Monday.
The takeaway from that first deep dive was that Morten Frendrup of Genoa would be someone the Toffees could target, although it looks like, as of now, the Blues aren't involved in the race for his signature, although clubs like Aston Villa, Juventus, and (shudder) Liverpool are.
No deal is done, but when teams with more economic weight to throw around are getting involved it generally spells bad news for the Toffees.
So let's turn the attention to a few other options, albeit players who aren't quite the same level of like-for-like fit as Frendrup.
Cristian Casseres, Toulouse
If Everton aren't going to bring back the ageless wonder in Gana, then they need to go the complete opposite direction and bring in a younger player who is already doing good work in his current situation.
The first name here is an example of that.
Toulouse's Cristian Casseres compares favorably to Gana as a defensively-minded midfielder, and in looking at the charts available via DataMB, which allows you to look at one player versus another using a spider web chart, that connection is even stronger.
The two players are nearly identical in their duel percentages (94.8 for Gana, 92.2 for Casseres) and defensive actions (88.5 to 89.3), while the young Venezuelan is more progressive with the ball (37.5 to 44.6), although less of that action comes from progressive passing than Gana (50.6 to 44.4).
As a defensive midfielder, Casseres looks like he'd be a good fit for David Moyes, and if he could be convinced to join, the cost would not be prohibitive.
The jump up in competition would be the only thing to consider, although he did successfully transition from MLS to Ligue 1 without much trouble. Maybe the time is now for Casseres, who just turned 25 in January.
Pol Lozano, Espanyol
Another option could be this Spaniard currently plying his trade at Espanyol in La Liga. He's certainly a defense-first option, which is what Everton will be looking for, but there may be some glaring weaknesses that will make this particular move less appealing.
Lozano is not likely to beat anyone with his dribble and his progressive carrying rate, per DataMB, is a paltry 8.5%. The passing is better (60.4 versus 50.6 for Gana), but the issue is mostly that while he's a willing defender, there are questions surrounding his success.
Some of this could be technical things that could be cleaned up, but the duel rate (21.1) and defensive actions (73.2) are both a major drop-off from what Gana has offered.
Like Casseres, Lozano is still young (he'll be 26 in October) and inexpensive, but given the choice, it feels like the former would make more sense for Everton.
Arthur Vermeeren, RB Leipzig
Let's go even younger for this third choice: a 20-year-old Belgian who has already enjoyed fairly extensive experience for RB Leipzig at his tender age.
Vermeeren is significantly more of a progressive passer of the football than Gana or any of the previous options, but he still needs a lot of work as a passer and tackler, something that would prove problematic for him in a move to the Premier League.
His interception rate suggests he's got a good defensive mind and that he can read the game, so the tackle rate (1.79 per90 per FBRef) and duel rate (10.7 per DataMB) could be technique over skill. But whether it would make sense for Everton to bring him in and rely on him is pretty clearly a "no."
And, at least for now, that's not something Everton need worrying about, since he just moved to Leipzig after a loan spell from Atletico Madrid, but the kid could be a player to watch in the coming seasons.
Jens Cajuste, Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town's relegation means sales are likely coming, but it isn't clear if 25-year-old Jens Cajuste will be one of them.
The Swedish midfielder was on loan with the Tractor Boys from Napoli, a deal that included a purchase option that may be complicated by the English club going down.
So there may be an opportunity to swoop in and make a move here, one that wouldn't be terribly expensive based on the player's current market value.
The issue here is whether the fit is a good one, even if Cajuste does now have a year's worth of Premier League experience. The tackling needs tidying up, although his interception rate is high, but his carrying rate (52.9) indicates he's less of a defensive midfielder and closer to a no.8.
This doesn't mean he wouldn't be good at Everton, but the current transfer situation with Napoli and Ipswich may make any move difficult.
Still, it's good for Everton to have a keen eye on ways to improve this part of the squad, especially as Gana's situation continues to rage on.