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Time for Gueye to depart consistently average Everton?

Oumar Niasse of Everton celebrates scoring his side's second goal with Idrissa Gueye and Gylfi Sigurdsson during the Premier League match between Everton and Crystal Palace at Goodison Park on February 10, 2018 in Liverpool, England.

(Feb. 9, 2018 - Source: Mark Robinson/Getty Images Europe)

Everton football club has recently been such a club seeking to go up the ranks in the ever competitive English Premier League. It’s been a journey that seems to be going in circular motion. What is it that they haven’t tried? Splashing big money on players, hiring and firing managers, but their last top 4 finish dates back to the 2004-05 season. As to what direction the club who currently sits in 11th position takes next, only time will time. One thing is for sure though, one of their most prized assets, Idrissa Gueye, has seemingly given a lot for the club and gotten not so much in return.

It’s worth noting that the 29-year-old Senegalese tough tackling midfielder has consistently been the best defensive midfielder in the EPL ever since signing for the Merseyside club in 2016. Gueye has registered the highest number of tackles by a single player, twice in the four seasons and finished second in the other two. He has matched and beaten the likes of N’golo Kante and Nemanja Matic, stat to stat and yet remains without any silverware, very much on top of the list of many other unsung heroes in global football. In fact, on all occasions that Matic and Kante have been on the list, they won the league title with their teams, Matic in 2014/15 season with Chelsea and Kante with Leicester and Chelsea in the 2015/16 and 2016/17 season respectively. The midfield tackling role is central to a team’s success and has proven to be the backbone of any side but Gueye hasn’t had his efforts complimented with similar input by his Everton teammates. His record doesn’t only make him England’s finest but puts him in the bracket of the best defensive midfielders in the world if not the best because if he fits in the Kante category, who else comes before them? After all, Gueye may perhaps get a bigger stage for more wins and trophies in his so far impressive career.

French Ligue 1 side, PSG reportedly came close to acquiring the Senegalese in a £30 million deal in the 2019 January transfer window. The table topping Parisians who are on a quest to win their first ever UEFA Champions League trophy will unlikely rest until they get their man and the deal could be on this summer. PSG have few super talented and expensive players in their squad that includes Mbappe, Neymar and quite a handful of youngsters to complement them. Gueye could be one of the experienced talents to come in and work with the likes of Marco Verrati in the midfield as the French club continues to builds itself up to be one of Europe’s most dominant forces.