There are plenty of questions surrounding the contract situation for Everton midfielder Idrissa Gana Gueye, as the Senegal international didn't play in enough matches last season to trigger the second year of the deal he signed last summer.
And while conversations may be ongoing between Everton and Gana, the midfielder's participation with Senegal at the World Cup is likely slowing that process down.
In the meantime, there are plenty of rumors swirling around the Blues' interest in other options for the midfield, a position they clearly see as one of need.
Hayden Hackney's potential to join the Toffees remains up in the air, with the likes of West Ham United reportedly joining the fray for his signature (although it remains to be seen why Boro would sell him within the Championship), but the deal does not appear to be off just yet.
But a more recent rumor suggests that David Moyes may be heading back to Senegal as a replacement for the possibly outgoing Gana.
Gueye for Gueye replacement?
According to Matteo Moretto at Marca, Everton leads the race for Gana's fellow Senegal international midfielder Pape Gueye, who is currently plying his trade at Villarreal. This is a phrase that Evertonians have heard enough to know that it probably doesn't mean much, but the idea of the Blues' interest is nice to see.
Gueye, who turned 27 in January, has shown himself to be adept as both a defensive midfielder and a more progressive central midfielder, although he is not anywhere near the ball winner that his Senegal compatriot is.
But he's a much bigger guy than Gana, so he's closer to fitting the profile of a no.6 than the 36-year-old, even if he's been a centerpiece of Everton's midfield on two separate occasions during his career.
The major issue, however, is that Pape Gueye has a €55 million release clause attached to them, a figure that Villarreal has shown no interest in moving off of in the past.
This would complicate Everton's interest, since it seems unlikely that the club will shell out that kind of money, especially since a return on investment isn't going to be high given Gueye's age. That doesn't mean that Everton shouldn't get involved, merely that the price may soar too high.
It's a move to keep an eye on, since he's a quality player and could maybe convinced to join not only by Gana but also Iliman Ndaiye.
Add us as a preferred source on Google