Premier League giants Manchester United and Arsenal were keen on Everton’s Idrissa Gana Gueye in 2017 but he is now stuck at Goodison Park.
Gone are the days when Idrissa Gana Gueye was on the radar of some of England’s established elite.
Gueye, who joined Everton for £7 million after Aston Villa’s 2016 relegation, emerged as one of the Premier League’s most impressive defensive midfielders last season, something of an N’Golo Kante-lite presence in the centre of the park.
Flash forward almost a year, however, and Gueye is a stranger to the gossip columns these days. He has not been linked with a big-money move away from Merseyside for quite a while, although this does not mean the Everton fans should be rejoicing.
Because it is impossible to overlook the fact that Gueye, like so many of his Everton teammates, has endured a poor season. He remains one of the first names on the team-sheet but no longer looks like the same presence in the centre of the park.
The former Lille enforcer managed 4.1 tackles, 2.5 interceptions and 57 passes per game last season. This time around, those figures have dropped to 3.6, 1.8 and 48.
It appears that Manchester United and Arsenal have turned their attention to other targets, and rightly so.
Because while the lack of interest in Gueye means Everton are likely to keep him, it is also a symbol of his decline.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
