As of this moment, no news has come out on the future of Idrissa Gana Gueye at Everton. There has been speculation about a move back to Paris (FC this time, not SG), but nothing firm. And the club has yet to announce his departure like they did with other players.
Still, no news continues to feel like bad news from an Everton perspective, with the 35-year-old out of contract and able to choose to go wherever he wants this summer.
But Gana has been massive in the Everton midfield since his return to Merseyside after a spell in Paris with the French giants, defying age and proving himself to be among the best defensive midfielders in the world.
It's why it is so vital that the Toffees find a way to keep him around, not only because he's valuable and excellent, but because it adds to their already quite long list of things to do this summer, which includes finding depth at goalkeeper and centerback, signing a starting right back and depth at both fullbacks, and already had midfield pieces as one of its agenda items.
So we, like the club, will begin to find a few options around for the world for players who could step in should Gana elect to finish his career elsewhere. Here are four potential options.
Pape Gueye, Villarreal
From one Gueye to another, as Everton could look to Gana's Senegal teammate to replace him.
Pape Gueye is a different profile of player than Gana, standing much taller (6'1" as opposed to 5'8") and working a little more progressively than the current Everton midfielder.
In fact, Villarreal have been known to slide Gueye further forward and take advantage of his athleticism and skills as a progressive passer, which has led to four goals this season and 49 shot-creating actions for the La Liga side.
The question would be whether that would make Gueye a good fit in David Moyes side, which leans heavily on a single disruptor in midfield to help keep things clean in front of the defensive back line.
He's a good tackler (2.19 per 90) and interceptor (1.09 per 90), but his defensive acumen mostly manifests in clearances (2.14 per 90) and aerials (1.25 per 90), which are in the 81st and 75th percentile for midfielders respectively.
The 26-year-old will be a name to watch, especially if the market value of €10 million is accurate, but would not be a like-for-like replacement for Gana.
Haris Belkebla, Angers
This option isn't as long term as a move for Gueye would be, as the Algerian international Belkebla turned 31 in January, but he's proved to be quite adept in areas where Gana excels.
Quite frankly, Belkebla is a defensive machine in midfield, be it racking up tackles (2.81 p90, 83rd), picking off passes (1.76 p90, 96th!), blocking crosses (1.51 p90, 80th), or clearing chances (2.31 p90, 85th).
The tackling numbers are the only area where the Algerian isn't Gana's equal or better, although to be fair, Idrissa is in the 99th percentile in that area, meaning very few are.
His age could be a factor, but there's little doubt that Belkebla can play the position well. The only other concern will be whether he can make the step up, having played in Ligue 1 or 2 in France his entire career.
But for €2 million, it wouldn't be a bad gamble for Everton to explore.
Ayyoub Bouaddi, Lille
This move would likely be one for the future rather than for next season, at least not with immediate dividends, because Bouaddi won't even turn 18 until October, but he's already received extensive Ligue 1 and Champions League experience.
The young Frenchman is a tackling artist (3.05 p90, 90th), a skill that will be difficult to teach, but has also shown himself to be an adept passer of the football.
But he'll need some refining, even if his experiences at such a young age are valuable.
Still, this is the type of move, even at a €30 million fee, that could make sense for Everton if Lille were willing to part with the player (and he'd be willing to come to Merseyside).
And it would be sensible even if Gana were to stay, since the youngster could learn from the veteran and hopefully be ready the following season to take on the role.
Senne Lynen, Werder Bremen
Lynen is a solid player who has shown some midfield versatility during his time with the German club, although he's mostly been a central or defensive midfielder.
Like Pape Gueye, he's a little taller (roughly 6'0"), but he's shown a great deal of defensive acumen, even if it doesn't match what Gana has been able to do during his career.
Lynen's tackling is above average (2.37 p90, 69th), but his interceptions (2.14 p90, 99th), blocking (1.84, 94th), and clearances (2.47 p90, 89th) are all elite and are skills that would translate well into the Premier League from the Bundesliga.
The concern here would be that the Belgian doesn't do much else well, as his passing and carrying are both well below average, and he's not going to offer much as a scorer (he has just 8 career goals) or creation of goals (just 16 career assists).
He wouldn't be coming in for his offensive skill, however, but the passing, which is something Gana does effectively, would be something to monitor.
But having just turned 26 and attached to a fee that seems reasonable, Lynen would be a player to watch to fill a Gana-sized hole in the Everton midfield.
Morten Frendrup, Genoa
To my mind, Morten Frendrup is the ideal choice here, although there will be a question of whether his frame is ideal for the English game, having played his entire career in either the Danish Superliga or Serie A or B.
The Denmark international (he debuted for his country last September) has been at Genoa since 2022, and he's been a fixture in the Italian club's starting XI since he arrived, missing only 12 starts in his 126 appearances for the club.
Frendrup was on the Genoa side that was relegated to Serie B after his first season (he joined in January), but was instrumental in their re-joining the Italian top flight the following season and staying up (in 13th, no less) this year.
Like others on the list, he's a defensive wizard, excelling as a tackler (2.96 p90, 89th), an interceptor (1.36 p90, 81st), and a blocker (1.80 p90, 93rd), and has shown a willingness to make passes, even if the skill needs refining.
The size (5'10", 157) could be a problem in an English midfield, so he'd need to build up his strength, but there's no question about the defensive talent.
As he's still under contract with Genoa until 2028, and just turned 24 in April, it may take some coaxing of both the club and the player, not to mention a decent fee.
But if Everton can do the work, he looks like the type of player Everton would want to bring in to replace Gana, even though they should look to pair the two for at least a season if they can in order to ease Frendrup's transition into England.