Goodison News View: Reported Everton central midfielder hunt could be stroke of genius
It’s not breaking any news to say that Everton have missed former midfielder Idrissa Gana Gueye desperately since he left the club last summer.
The 27-year-old had formed a key part of the Toffees’ midfield in recent years and was a real lynchpin for them.
However, he was given the opportunity to return to France with the biggest club in the country, and he took it.
Unsurprisingly, the 30-year-old has flourished for Paris Saint-Germain. His old team’s attempts to replace him, however, have been rather less successful.
Jean-Philippe Gbamin was signed for big money from Mainz to fill the Gueye-sized void at Goodison Park, but has missed almost the entirety of the campaign due to injury.
It’s no surprise, then, that the Blues are looking to readdress the issue next summer, and replace Gueye properly this time.
Indeed, French publication Sport Mania reported last week that Everton have turned their attention to Toulouse destroyer Ibrahim Sangare.
They claim that the club actually went in for him last summer, but that there is a better chance of signing him now due to Toulouse’s potential relegation from Ligue 1. The report even goes so far as to say that he’s ‘expected’ to be an Everton player next season.
We don’t know about all that, but there’s very little doubt that the 22-year-old would be a smart addition for Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
Even if Gbamin returns and does well, the centre of midfield needs to be addressed next summer. Both Morgan Schneiderlin and Fabian Delph could well be offloaded, potentially leaving Sangare, Gbamin, Andre Gomes and Tom Davies in an upgraded unit.
Sangare is having a fine season despite Toulouse’s struggles. The 22-year-old is averaging 3.3 tackles, 1.5 interceptions and two clearances per game this campaign.
He’s also averaging one key pass and 1.3 successful dribbles an outing, on his way to a very creditable average WhoScored rating of 6.77.
The youngster would appear to have the defensive acumen and the engine to perhaps step into the cavernous shoes of the dearly-departed Gueye.
In other Everton news, former manager Sam Allardyce has revealed that he almost signed a Premier League all-star for the Toffees.