PSG open the bidding for Gueye

Don’t sell till the Summer. We have only Schneiderlin as back up .

If we do sell, we'd better have a replacement lined up. We can't have Schniederlin as back-up... no bloody way. I want him gone. I'd stick Baningime in before him.

Firstly, I really rate Gana but at that money for a player who turns 30 later this year we have to flog him. His position is one we're well stocked in, although he's the best one, it may give Beni Baningime a chance to play.

Lastly, I also don't think he fits in with the way Silva wants us to play. If this money can get us another striker in... then je suis down!

I assume he has spoken to PSG with Everton's permission which does seem to indicate they are prepared to let him go but doesn't do much for our bargaining position.

Are we really sure we are NOT in sell-to-spend position after all, we do know the rules about poaching other clubs' employees, don't we?

As much as I would dislike to lose Gana, I think any inflated price say €25-35M cannot be refused. Yes he would be sorely missed, but let's be honest we need a rebuild anyway, this season has more or less gone, with little left, apart from some respectability in finishing above relegation territory and maybe a good Cup run.

I was hoping there was some mileage too in acquiring the services of Edin Dzeko, a player I have always admired, although he is getting older (who isn't) but with Schneiderlin being a big chunk (quite appropriate) of any fee involved.

Someone mentioned Beni Baningime, another player I like; I gather he has had injury issues but surely he must be fit and ready for consideration now.

As far as I'm concerned, if Gana goes, the season will have gone completely to hell. He's the only player who's been consistently worth watching the entire season, and he's my player of the season to this point.

That said, Derek, I think you're right. £35M would be a very good price for a player of this age who only does two things really well, even if he does do them better than anybody else in the world. And the club is going nowhere this season, with him or without him.

On the other hand, you are absolutely dreaming about Dzeko. There is no way in hell that a player who is been sniffed out by Real Madrid and Monaco, among others, is going to come to us.

I totally agree with your points, Mike.

Those advocating selling Gana will be on here when he is gone, lamenting why we sold him.

I would build a team around him rather than let him go.

And I would love Dzecko but so would Spurs and Chelsea so which one would you pick?

EFC make me weep and have done for years. Why do any of us bother any more??? Selling our Player of the Season so far — where will it all end? When will it all end?

ps: At least he won't have Mane taking the piss out of him any more.

Selling him would be madness unless it meant we could get a striker in. He's been our best player this season.

McCarthy, Schneiderlin, Baningime — none of them are nearly as good or effective as Gana.

Our weak and soft midfield will be even worse and there will be less tackles, less closing down, and less pressing.

I genuinely fear for Silva if this deal goes through because his ‘style' will be even less implementable and we'll probably lose more games and by worse scorelines... Unless this means we're getting a goalscorer in.

Only sell him if we can put a clause in that says PSG must take Schneiderlin, Mirallas and Bolasie as well. No extra cash, we will just give you all three with the £30M for Gueye.

The sad thing about it is we could sell him in January but he'll still probably be our Player of the Season come May.

As I have mentioned in previous postings, he will be sold as we will not turn down a fee near to the supposed asking price, especially for a player who is 29.

As for it affecting our season, with the gap to Man Utd being too great, the best we could achieve is 7th and, if we play like we did against Southampton, then the FA Cup will have gone.

This is a transition and assessment season for players and manager; the summer transfer window will be most interesting.

Where's Beni Baningime nowadays??

Nowadays, late 20' is not old for a footballer as better diet and training can usually extend their useful working life to early / mid 30s.

True, there is usually a slight fall-off in pace but this tends to be more critical in areas where shrewd reading of the game can't compensate for that.

Another thing is that the transfer "base measure" seems to have moved significantly in the last two seasons. "Average" players are now being touted at £40 - £50 million each. Promising teenagers are being sought in the £35 - £40 million bracket.

So, for a club that is aspiring to be "Champions of Europe", ie, PSG, £35 million for Gana is small potatoes and if they really want him we could certainly hold out for £40 million in today's market.

As ever though, the question for Everton is — with whom can we replace him?

We must have 30 players in our shit squad that I'd allow to leave before Gana.

Joke.

It's a bit of madness to start selling the most energetic midfielder we have in January knowing the season is already pretty much crumbling. None of the other midfielders we have are energetic, in fact they run like a 95-year-old off to the Bingo.

McCarthy was very good but, if his return to the injury is anything like Seamus Coleman's, then it's not worth even considering.

Schneiderlin is the human version of a crab.

André Gomes passes the ball sideways very efficiently but I've not seen any kind of engine on him.

Sigurdsson can't play there.

People calling for Baningime when he's not been anywhere near the first team (for a reason perhaps?) are just being premature.

Davies is another with the looks of a choir boy and all the physical strength and pace of one to match.

It's insane to sell that midfield cog right now with no replacement readily available; Watford will hardly do business with us for Doucoure — and besides, why would he leave Watford to join us?

That would leave three major priority signings (midfielder, right-back and striker) in a summer window that itself has now been shortened, timescale-wise.

Tough choice. It's clear Gana is a massive asset at times, but:

1) This is likely his one big chance to play at that very top level, so he's going to want to go. If we deny him that, we'll have a very unhappy player.

2) It's time to shake up the middle, and the 2 has NEVER worked for us: Gana and Schneiderlin, Gana and Davies, Gana and Gomes, etc — none has worked. We need to go with a 3 there with more to offer at the creative end.

He should not be sold cheaply, and the money must be reinvested quickly, but perhaps it's time to change.

As harsh as it sounds, if we're building a team for the future then Gana isn't part of it. £35-£40 million is a good deal for a 29-year-old.

It shows with Sigurdsson, we criminally overpaid for someone with little resale value; the same with Bolasie. We've been stung in recent years and now the ball is on the other foot. He will be missed this season and our performances will be worse, but if we can look to past this season then it's a good deal.

I wouldn't bother trying to find a replacement yet, we have McCarthy (again, not a long-term solution), Baningime and Davies. We'd probably have to change the make-up of the midfield – ie, not have a tackler and a player, but two players who can do both.

I vote for Davies and Baningime to be given an extended run. Write this season off and plan for the future.

Kevin

Did you see the team that lost 2-6 at home to Spurs with Gueye not in the side and Davies involved in a midfield that was swamped? Have you thought maybe there's a reason why Baningime is not in the first-team squads?

Maybe negative feedback this season in his performances or that he's nowhere near ready?

Asking a kid with no experience at all to come in a protect a defence at Premier League level is pure suicide and our results would plummet even further.

We leaked goals under Unsworth when he was playing all these kids together last season.

Gueye puts fires out and senses dangers (he was the only one on Saturday that looked capable of doing so).

To me, selling such a vital cog in January is suicide and tells me that we are now just fookin' skint.

Kevin #18,

How about we build a team for 7th to start off with?

I agree with the post that Gana may not fit into the way Silva wants the team to play; whether that's a good thing remains to be seen. I do think he will go out to bring in Doucoure as a replacement but I'm not sure he'll get him.

For anybody calling out for Dzeko, he turns 33 in March.

Andrew,

I can't see Doucoure coming to Everton.

1) Imagine trying to do business with Watford right now after all the shit that's gone on and bad blood?

2) I believe Doucoure himself last week stated his next move will be to a Champions League club.

Watford are 7th, we are 11th; it's not at this minute in time a forward step in his career.

Jim, Kase...

Our performances would drop off this season, if you read my post I said that. However, how are we ever going to know what the likes of Baningime can do if he doesn't play?

As someone previously mentioned... Gana and Schneiderlin didn't work, Gana and Davies didn't work, Gana and Gomes isn't working, Villa got relegated with Gana. Maybe the problem is Gana. As good as he is, no one in 4 years in the Premier League has managed to find a partner for him.

Kase, we built a team for 8th last season. It included Tosun, Walcott, Williams at times, Jagielka. Building a team for 7th doesn't automatically mean we are building a team that is progressing.

If we get to the end of the season and it's blatantly obvious Baningime won't cut it, we find a replacement.

It gives us a blank canvas to build a midfield how Silva wants and not one that's based around rigidity – ie, 1 x tackler, 1 x passer, 1 x Number 10. With Gana in the team we will always be playing this type of formation which we have proved doesn't work.

If we do keep Gana – and I can't believe I'm saying this – Schniederlin and Davies compliment him the best. That means dropping Gomes and Sigurdsson.

Jim, you're probably right. However, I do think it's the route Silva wants to take. Imagine selling Gana because he has a replacement in mind and then not getting that replacement in.

He isn't just our best player in that position – since Kante moved to right-central midfield, he is the best player in that position in the Premier League.

£35mil sounds like a good deal? Rubbish.

The only reason to sell would be if it was a stupid offer. I believe he has a contract until June 2022, so there is no need to sell for such a low fee.

If he has aspirations of playing higher I certainly sympathise, but he is our player and he signed a contract – the fact no Champions League club clause was put in it is his agent's fault.

The midfield we would at the moment get the best from would be this, but I doubt Silva has the bottle to do it:

Gueye
Sigurdsson
Bernard (Number 10)
Richarlison (left)
Lookman (right)

Hugh #14, unless you're Rooney.

I've just been checking up on Everton's best run since Gana signed.
We have the first 6 games under Koeman where Gana and Barry played a lot, then they tailed off.

Our best performances since Martinez's first season came around the 4-0 against City. During that run of games, Gana either didn't start (around half of the games) or was partnered with both Schniederlin and Davies, or Barry and Davies.

We have never found a good partner for Gana, and Koemans obsession with Number 10s stifled the midfield combination he'd found the previous seasons.

Gana and Everton flourished the most in a midfield 3 with no Number 10 (Barkley and Mirallas generally flanked a striker).

Schniederlin and Everton flourished the most in a midfield 3 with no Number 10.

Davies and Everton flourished the most in a midfield 3 with no Number 10.

Maybe the problem is the Number 10???

I don't think Gana can play in a midfield 2, which is essentially what we do with a Number 10 playing. If we persist with a Number 10, we should take the money for Gana. Otherwise, play to his strengths with a deep-lying midfielder and another ball winner or ball carrier next to him.

The very fact that we're discussing the possibility of selling, yet again, one of our best players, is a reflection of the state and status of Everton.

At most levels of football, you win the midfield battle and you win the game.

Selling our best battler and retriever of the ball isn't in any way going to improve us. We all know his limitations but PSG seem to be quite happy with him potentially winning possession and passing it to one of their Galacticos to do their thing.

At 29, he is in his prime; unless we have a replacement lined up this is shortsighted and will probably go towards paying for Gomes who can't run or tackle or lately can't pass.

It does underline what a massive job we have in trying to move on our fringe players. No interest at all besides Niasse out on loan.

The only thing top 4 about us at present is the amount of highly paid players that we have stockpiled who will never play for us again.

Why is it that Sigurdsson is regarded as a Number 10 when he didn't play there for Swansea?

He can score goals and can pass the ball but he played in a front 2 at Swansea

Why can't we play him alongside Gana and try 2 up top: Calvert-Lewin and say Tosun or Richarlison?

It's a wind-up that we persist with the same tactics, get the same poor results and try the same thing again expecting something different

It's bordering on insanity.

The only way we should even consider selling Gueye is if we have a striker lined up. I'd much rather we got rid of some deadwood like Bolasie, Schneiderlin etc, but it looks like we are lumbered with them.

If we were to sell Gueye to bring in Batshuayi, for example, a younger player who can put the ball in the net for us, then we might have to do it. That is the only way it can make sense to sell Gueye.

Don't sell unless we have a player that Brands and Silva believe is an upgrade lined up and provisionally signed.

It would be foolish to sell an important player and not have a comparable quality replacement. We are still suffering from doing just that over Lukaku.

I have faith in Marcel Brands and I am hoping lessons have been learned from the amateur antics of his predecessors.

Everton are a weak team – recent results show them to be brittle and lacking spirit. The manager is uninspiring and so many mistakes have been made with Moshiri's money we might well have been better without it. But the sale of Gueye would show he is getting desperate!

A glance at the roster will find an interminable list of dross, covering failed 'signings' and academy graduates who will never be good enough for Premier League football. A mark of the owner's judgement is that his appointment of the reviled Sam Allardyce is probably the most successful managerial decision he has made so far. (At least his RS coach displayed great enthusiasm!)

After more than 50 years, I know now we will never get back amongst the 'big boys'. And I'm now too old to have any hope left in me!

Jim @19,

Banigime has not been in first team squads this year because he has been injured. I believe he is now returning to training. Though probably won't be match fit/sharp for a little while.

I love Gana. I think he's a tremendous player who's not nearly as limited as many believe and is an excellent candidate for player of the season. That said, he'll be 30 in 6 months time and, if we can get £35-£40M for him, then that's an offer worth considering.

It cannot be denied that despite Gana's individual brilliance our central midfield has been malfunctioning for a long time, so it has to be a possibility that he is part of that problem; I know Steve Ferns has a lot to say about his desire to hunt the ball instead of keeping position (which may be why his stats are so good and yet the team concedes so frequently).

Like it or not, Everton is a business; one that has thrown a huge amount of money away on players with little or much less resale value (Bolasie, Schneiderlin, Williams, Sigurdsson etc). Matters on the pitch have to be balanced with matters off it; if the right offer comes in, then almost any player in the world is for sale.

I don't think Silva will give up Gana easily and I don't think PSG will offer the £40M that would probably persuade Brands to say yes. But if he does go, life carries on. Many thought when we sold a young Wayne Rooney, our best player, we were destined for relegation. We came 4th the next season.

I'm not a massive fan of Gana due to his passing being quite frankly atrocious. I can't imagine it going down too well in the Champions League.

I'm not sure we should sell him now, though. It all depends what type of side we are trying to build; if Gana going means a Doucoure-type incoming, I would bite their hand off.

We all know that football is a business. It's the level of business that is our big issue.

The owner wants to turn us into Harrods. Currently, we are striving to be a John Lewis whilst in reality we are a Debenhams.

Meanwhile Man City and Chelsea are Amazon.

How do we close the gaps if we historically sell our best players to the clubs above us? It's a near-impossible task that requires a Leicester-size series of events to temporarily upset the apple cart.

Like it or not, despite Moshiri, we are treading water. If he was serious about turning us into a top club, we would reject overtures for all of our top players and have appointed an Ancelotti, Manchini, type manager and thrown a lot more money at the squad rather than mid-level money for mid-level players.

If this is all true, then – without a shadow of a doubt – we'll have a replacement lined up. Very risky, though, as we'd need the new guy to hit the ground running.

Well I'm gonna stick my neck out and say that I don't believe a word of it and that it's all media shite!

Just can't for the life of me see it happening.

I'm well prepared for any flack should I be completely wrong!

I am bemused that some people are so willing to let him go.

'Build for the future' – Gana is 29, players of his position usually stay in their prime until 34/35 years of age.

'Build for the future' means keeping the best players — not selling them.

James @ 37. I don't think we'd get the best out of Doucoure unless we had somebody like Gana sitting deep, allowing Doucoure to be the box to box player. Ironically, he's probably the player to replace Sigurdsson that will allow Silva to play his 4-3-3 formation.

I sincerely hope this report is unfounded as selling Gana in this transfer window would be utterly senseless. It is obvious that we have no players in the current squad remotely capable of providing an adequate replacement.

Despite an abysmal run of results, we are just 3 points off 7th position, selling Gana would almost certainly condemn us to a mid-table or worse finish — not acceptable as far as I'm concerned.

Out of curiosity, if we received a £40M offer for either Gueye or Sigurdsson, which one would people be happiest to sell?

Sam, it would depend what the plans are to replace them. As per my post above, if we could keep Gana, sell Gylfi and bring in Doucoure I'd be happy.

If we could sell them both, bring in Doucoure and a sitting player with a bit more positional discipline (see your post re Steve Ferns) who is a quick and accurate passer I'll be more than happy.

Good question, Sam.

I don't think Sigurdsson creates enough chances, and he hasn't even been particularly great from set-pieces. Seeing as Digne takes most of the free-kicks and corners now, and Lookman or Bernard may be suited to the No 10 role, I'd sell Sigurdsson over Gueye.

I appreciate Sigurdsson's work rate and goals, but I think Gueye prevents more chances than Sigurdsson creates. Gueye is more important.

Well, whether we sell Gueye or not, and I would like him to stay we have got serious problems come the summer. We have too big a squad which is costing us a fortune, and with the loanees returning in the summer it will make any purchases dependent on getting the majority of these players off our books permanently.

I think football clubs have lost all touch with reality, paying players a fortune just to sit on the bench or even worse not even play them. I heard on the radio this morning they were talking about Sanchez at Man Utd, he earns £391,000 per week. He has been there for 12 months and he has made 17 starts scoring 3 goals, and has earned £20 million.

I read in the Telegraph that our neighbours seem to be doing it the right way they are just about to publish their accounts which, the Telegraph are reporting will make them the first club in history to post yearly profits of €100 million.

I think it just shows that if you are clever in the market and buy the right players you don't need to be massively in debt to be able to challenge at the top end of the league. There is definitely a lesson there for us – anybody can spend money but to spend it wisely is the real art.

For me... get the best deal possible from PSG and see if they can throw in one of their young players who is left-footed also to bump up the deal.

Save the money until the summer to seek a suitable replacement and for the rest of this season play Zouma in central Midfield with Bernard next to him.

New approach:

Pickford (Capt)
Kenny Keane Mina Baines
Coleman Zouma Bernard Digne
Walcott Lookman

Subs: Stekelenburg, Gomes, Digne, Richarlison, Tosun, Calvert-Lewin, Bolasie (fuck it, use him).

A more solid-looking squad, real shape and balance, youth and experience – and with a strong offensive bench for once!

If we are selling Gana, as some would say, to fund the purchase of Gomes in the summer, my question would be – Gana or Gomes?

For me, on current showing Gana shades it. Has offered more to the team than what we have seen from Gomes, in my opinion.

Crap passing?.....Compared to ......?

Who are our pinpoint specialists?

Brian @47, yes agreed, which is why I despair on here of people (especially on the live forum) saying that most of are players are not fit for the Premier League and we need to replace them all.

We cannot afford to just keep buying players at the rate we have over the last few years. We've already wasted a fortune and got our wage bill into a mess. We have to try and get the best we can out of what we have, develop the youngsters with talent, clear the deadwood and buy sensibly (players under 26 with talent and re-sale value).

Once we have done that and got a more settled team playing to its best, then we can supplement with the occasional big purchase (like RS did with Van Dijk and Allison) to lift us. It absolutely has to be a long term approach, which requires patience that is in short supply round these parts from many.

Is Moshiri the new Randy Lerner???

Sam #51, I like and agree with much of what you post but we won the FA Cup in 1995 and nothing since – can we dispense with this notion that Evertonians are impatient?

This thread is reminding me of the thread when Everton first signed Gueye, with comments like "He can't be very good for £7 Million, especially if he's coming from a relegated team."

The comments have changed because Gana is very good at what he does but £35 million for a soon-to-be 30-year-old whose greatest gift is energy obviously seems like it's too much to turn down.

Opinions is all we mostly have on T/W but, if people think we lost 6-2 against Spurs because Gueye wasn't on the pitch, then they aren't looking at the game enough, imo.

Davies really struggled against Spurs but, if a team like Spurs are given too much space to play in, then they will destroy better teams than Everton, I'm sure.

Silva's wide-open formation is the biggest problem alongside a lack of creativity coming from the middle of the park, which is definitely not being helped because we lack a proper centre-forward.

Let's see how it all unfolds before we start slaughtering this decision... but again, that's just my own opinion right now.

Daniel, no in the way that he is in it to build the stadium and sell for a profit. He's not going to do a Man City or Chelsea any time soon. With or without Usmanov's backing.

We're forgetting in all this the player's wishes. Yes, if we say No, he has to stay, but if you were Gueye would you rather a mid-table (or worse) Everton team that has not clicked for 4 years or a title at PSG and Champions League etc every year... it's a no-brainer for him. Then it's all about him telling Everton he wants to go and the price being agreed after personal terms (which are apparently sorted).

I'd bet my house on him leaving this month

Where that leaves us, who knows... but playing a Number 10 is our problem in my opinion right now. Sigurdsson seems to out-run everyone and he has goals in him and we paid a shedload but, for me, we need a midfield three to get more solid and 2 good wingers that compensate for no No 10.

Benjamin @ 56 - absolutely spot on.

Maybe try dropping Sigurdson back into a 3 with Gomes and Davies and asking him to graft there, and allow Richarlison and Bernard (or Lookman) free reign in front of that 3 and in behind Calvert-Lewin. 3 midfielders cover the full-backs more and they can then help with width?

I don't think we should stop him from going if the price is right - it's a step up. Similar to the Gravesen situation with Real Madrid.

The typical Everton problem we have is that we don't have an adequate replacement and we risk having an even more porous midfield again.

Is there a loan or youngster available for a mid-table team like us?

Clearly, we are going to have to stop throwing silly money on above-average players.

We have to sell at £35m and then bring back Joe Williams from Wigan.

In the last two seasons, Joe's played almost every minute of every Championship game for which he was available for both his loan clubs, Barnsley and Wigan. He's been tested in a competitive league and proved himself to be a hard-tackling, energetic defensive midfield player who can also pass forward. He must have the edge over the younger and inexperienced Beni Baningime, fine prospect though Beni is.

All the useless news and rumors that we didn't want this month. So far, nothing but garbage on and off the pitch when perhaps we could have all been forgiven for thinking one or two new class additions may have come in. So much for the club's ambition !

Niasse out on loan (expected); Bolasie back (to do what?); Gueye, whose head is bound to be turned at the thought of going to a top club like PSG; Schneiderlin still here?

Things getting worse, not better. Prepare to meet the Millwall doom.

Okay it's not all doom and gloom is it, they are sure to win another game before season's end. (Maybe the derby?)

Sorry, guys, about the sarcasm but it comes from decades of frustration.

I'd rather keep him until the summer. But if Gana is pushing for the move then £35M is hard to say no to for a want-away player. We have to have a replacement in before he leaves, so it should be subject to finding a replacement.

I'm all for giving youth a chance but it's far easier to come into a settled team that have been playing well in a similar style which we have not been.

You can't rely on McCarthy, even if the medical note says he's fit. Schneiderlin needs flogging. Beni largely untested. Davies isn't yet consistent enough but probably our beast bet. Williams untested and personally I've seen nothing of him.

We lack a real physical presence in midfield. Someone who works tirelessly, has pace, strength and is good enough on the ball.

Is it possible this is why Bolasie has been recalled? Stranger things have happened. Could he do a Wijnaldum or Sissoko and play more centrally?

Andrew @42, I sort of agree with you there although Silva didn't really have a "sitter" during Watford's good spell. Gana definitely isn't a sitter, the moment you put a leash on him his game is drastically limited.

Sigurdsson can't be described as box to box and, when you look at all the components of our midfield in this way, you start to realise what an absolute mess it is. McCarthy, Besic, Schneiderlin, Davies, Gomes etc...

Maybe they could be persuaded to swap for Rabiot who wants to leave? Unlikely we'd be his preferred destination but you never know. Maybe even Draxler?! Or Lo Celso who's on loan at Betis.

If they're short of cash (for FFP reasons), then I reckon they must have some great young talent on the fringes we could relieve them of.

What other top aspiring club would sell their best player in the middle of a season? Or accept the return of a headless chicken from Animal Farm (Aston Villa)? Answers on a postage stamp to...

Care In The Community
Goodison Road
Liverpool L4

ps: All entries will win Duncan Ferguson's new book ‘How to earn millions looking gormless'.

Part of me sides with Brian @ 40, doubting the veracity of this rumour.

Another part of me whispers 'This is Everton' and everyone has their price.

There is a whole team of players we need shifting off our books before we should consider selling Gueye.

I've written previously, if there is any truth in this, the player himself would have to listen to PSG's offer, all the more so because (as 'rumoured' only) Everton put a £40M price tag on his head to 'discourage' PSG interest, rather than out-and-out say: 'Not for sale'.

The bigger story for me in all this that, IF (and everything is pure speculation at the moment) Gueye is sold, it is further evidence that Everton as a club remains as distant as ever from arriving in the 'Brave New World' as we continue to sell our best players, rather than retain them and build a team around them.

I'm a little surprised by the 'Sell Him' mentality.

This is not Bournemouth putting in a £35M bid, this is PSG — one of the richest club's in the World, who basically can buy anyone who they want. I think they wanted Kante, but with all their FFP issue, they wouldn't be able to swing it as Chelsea would want close to £100M. Gueye is the next best thing, and has the stats to back it up.

There's a reason they want him, because there's not much better out there in his position. While the French league is a walk in the park for them, I could imagine any player would want to go for the definite chance of silverware and guaranteed Champions League, plus a decent pay packet to boot.

I'm also wondering if McCarthy's slow return back to the team maybe in result of a potential Gueye move. There's been whispering for months now about PSG's interest. Possibly Silva has been slowly getting him ready and not rushing his return, so that, if Gueye leaves, he can slot in completely fit.

We are not a top aspiring club, we are 11th with an owner who wants to get control on spending.

Would you pay 30 million or Gana if we didn't have him ? I guess that answers the value to us question.

John@47
Joe Williams is not even at Wigan, he’s at Bolton and has been injured for a few weeks. He is clearly a good prospect but the concept that he could instantly replace a player coveted by PSG is as fanciful as the idea from other contributors that McCarthy could somehow recapture the form he displayed before his several career-threatening injuries.

To be fair to Gana, if PSG are knocking, you’re gonna open the door.

They’ll easily double his current deal and he’ll play CL with some fantastic players. If PSG are serious, there’s no point in complaining, he’ll be gone.

I just hope Brands (not Silva) is responsible for signing a replacement. If Weat Ham can sign Fernandez (fantastic player) for £35m, why can’t we? (London v Liverpool aside.)

Gana, is the only outfield player this season who puts a shift in every game, shows commitment and tries his best.

Some may say he’s not cohesive but this team hasn’t been consistently cohesive for years.
Sell our best midfielder and Beni, aside, who’ve we got in midfield?

We don’t have a dynamic mobile and alert midfield combination, so If we get £30-35M GBP, Great, but who do we replace him, with?

Maybe he’s gonna be the player thats sold to save the team, MS, and this season?

It seems crazy without having a proper plan, but this is EFC, and at the moment theres no air of surprise, as I don’t have disbelief anymore.

It would be typical of Everton. We always sell the best players, that's why we're just a club of perennial PL survivors and always will be.

Chris #45, to you and others who have suggested it, I would point out that neither Bernard nor Lookman has ever played the true #10 role. Bernard cycled through the middle for a few minutes at a time at Shaktar, which encouraged its three midfielders to be fluid, and I wouldn't mind seeing Silva try that here. But anybody expecting him or Lookman to perform as anything close to a classic #10 is dreaming IMO.

Not disputing anybody's opinion about Gueye, be it he's been our player of the season so far, or the only one who puts in a shift, but for me Lucas Digne, since he came into the team, has so far been our best player, and one who most definitely puts in a shift every game he plays.

Point granted, Rob. He has been outstanding.

Spot on, Rob, about Digne.

Ian@66. Bolton! Oh well then.

Let's be honest, if we keep hold of Gueye for another season or so, does anyone think we would get close to the £30-Million mark for the player? Because it is PSG, we are seeing pound signs and thinking £40 Million – no less.

If the player has set his heart on moving, I do not think we will get anywhere near that in the future, so best to let him go.

I would go further and wait until the Summer for a replacement due to current players we could use there and use the money on a much-needed striker.

So if we are letting Gueye leave and bringing in a striker, then I would accept that.

John and Ian, you're both right... Joe Williams has barely missed a minute until his recent injury, and Bolton has been outscored 10-1 in his absence as they skid towards relegation.

According to this Echo report last August, Everton did insist on a recall clause in the loan deal: Everton midfielder Joe Williams joins Bolton – but Blues insist on recall clause.

So what John speculates about is not beyond the realm of possibility.

If we sell him, it's another piece of Everton madness. He is one of our better players and is still willing to put a shift in.

We will probably sell him and McCarthy and have no ball winner in the team. Still, we'll always have Sigurdsson to keep missing penalties, hit free-kicks into the wall, and break down most of our attacks when he receives the ball.

We either can't keep our best players happy or can't wait to sell them. And worse, we pay the earth for a player who gives us nothing. This is one crazy club.

Denis Richardson @67,

"To be fair to Gana, if PSG are knocking, you're gonna open the door."

So how do clubs benefit from contracts then? We are obliged to keep paying Kevin Mirallas, Luke Garbutt etc because we made an agreement for them to be gainfully employed for five years. But we are then to rip up a contract the minute a big club comes knocking for one of our good players?

How about we say "No PSG, unless you give us an offer we can't refuse." And if Gueye is upset, we say "Tough luck, you have a contract here, if you don't plan to honour it, we will sue you."

If there's any truth in this, he'll be gone. He's nearly 30 so a move like this is massive – last chance of silverware and Champions League. A no-brainer for the lad really.

Unless we've got someone lined up, we should pocket the money and get to the summer using what we've got. Use the cash towards buying a decent striker and replace Gana with a solid, mouthy captain with a footballing brain.

Everton need a centre-forward, Gana is not the future. Everton have a financial impasse.

At 29, a buyer in the wings and a generous resale of £35M, it would seem a good idea to sell. The profit from the player trading would be handy too. For me, it's the right call, to sell.

Whatever good qualities Gana has, the fit with Silva's current tactics is a poor one. It just doesn't work. His energy and commitment are great but he ultimately is not good at holding his position.

Gana is not the holder Silva wants, we've seen numerous times his wandering style leaves the midfield empty and teams just walk right through us.

I dare say Mina would be better there, staying put, screening the back four.

The sale would relieve the wage pressure and allow the purchase of a centre-forward, which is far more important to us in the short-term.

Time to sell and get that forward in.

Spot on, Kieran. Can you imagine the Levy response? Unfortunately, we are feeble, gormless and outwitted year after year after year.

In my view, I'll be pleasantly surprised if we get any good players in this month and so, whoever goes out, you'd like to think there's a back-up plan.

Losing certain squad players this month and in the summer, as we know, would make no difference as, when they start the game, they rarely put a shift in... and here we are again, past the middle of January and still in the FA Cup, which is better than last season.

Overall – and each to their own – it's been a disappointing season and, until a balance is achieved with the right players in attack, midfield and defence, this Everton team will stutter with a few kick-starts but the consistency won't happen.

Hand on heart – who's gonna get the goals in South London this Saturday? Should be worth a bet; I'll go (assuming they are fit) for Sigurdsson and Digne.

I doubt Gana will be gone and, for sure, we'll need to tackle well, win the ball, and (the hard bit for this Everton team) to hold on to the ball for more than three passes.

Let's hope we etch out a result as bringing back Millwall to Goodison Park will be harder than this Saturday at their ground.

We live in hope eternal and that's as good as it gets, but a cup win may strike some spark and some hunger in this team. Let's see...

Not to worry. We'll replace him like we did Lukaku.

Can't blame him if he moves... Neymar, Mbappe and Cavani? Or Tosun, Calvert-Lewin and Bolasie???

He's done his bit for us so good luck to him. £30-odd million for a 29-year-old who's limited is good business for us.

It would be a disaster if we sell Gana. He missed our game against Spurs: Davies and Gomes were destroyed in midfield, losing 6-2. He missed the Man City game: Gomes and Sigurdsson, who was like the invisible man in midfield, were totally toothless.

The only defensive midfielder other than Gana, who can make a tackle is McCarthy, but Silva hasn't given him a chance, since coming back, on the bench against Lincoln – that's the nearest he got to any action.

Also, 29 is not old for a midfielder; James Milner is still part of the Red Shite team at 33.

Kenny Smith:

"£30-odd million for a 29-year-old who's limited is good business for us."

In other words, £30 million for a guy at his peak. How is that good business? Everyone knows Everton waste money and pay over the odds. If we did a direct like-for-like signing to replace, the selling club would want at least £50 million knowing we have spent £20 million plus on countless bench warmers.

PSG are supposed to be the team who throw around money recklessly, and here we are talking about selling one of our better players to them on the cheap. Doucoure has been linked with us and Watford supposedly value him at £50 million. You can add another £10 million to that with the Marco Silva tapping up premium we have to pay to Watford.

Of all the crap Steve Walsh signed, he did one good bit of business which was snapping up Gueye on the cheap. Why the heck would we undo that by selling him on the cheap?

I would really hate this to happen as he is our best player, sadly.

Also rumours that Mina wants to go back to Spain. The season is completely falling apart.

Where are the Mina rumours from, Gordon?

Coming from Spain, Brian. Some local papers over there. But some say it's a whole lot of nonsense.

I would take the £30 to 35 mill. Lump it, or a large portion, on Zouma who could play defensive midfield. Then take Batshyai from Chelsea on loan with a view to buy. Good business all round.

Thanks Gordon, will have a look. Some would welcome it I think if we could get Zouma permanently.

When the music stops on deadline day, Everton will be left with Vim Janssen on loan from Spurs you heard it here first.

When has Zouma EVER played defensive midfielder?

And, given fans want to keep him because he's been impressive at centre-back, now makes them want to play him out of position?!?

In exchange for our most effective player this season???

This isn't Championship Manager, fellas!

"The very fact that we're discussing the possibility of selling, yet again, one of our best players, is a reflection of the state and status of Everton."

Amidst all the discussion, this is an undeniable truth. We are possibly no longer attractive to the player, unable to resist or function without the incoming transfer fee, or whatever it is. On the pitch, we are not a big player amongst clubs and we are not yet near to becoming one, nor operating as such. It seems the stadium is becoming the major ambition of the EFC hierarchy.

Keiran 78, two things,

Firstly, if a player wants to leave, he generally gets his way most of the time.

Secondly, this is Everton. If we're being offered £35M for an almost 30-year-old, I can't see the club turning that down.

By his decisions thus far, Moshiri has portrayed himself as a football nonentity. Other people involved in the developing Bramley-Moore Dock project will have noted that, and adjusted their input accordingly. It's all bad news for the fans and supporters.

According to the Radio Merseyside news on the drive to work this morning, it was reported by Everton that (A) an offer has not been received, and (B) he isn't for sale.

Sly Sports now reporting Gana is not for sale according to Everton. Maybe some haggling still going on.

Or maybe he's not for sale.

He is not for sale... unless we have a cunning plan for someone better. And maybe we have.

In the end, until he signs something, it is just speculation that sells advertising.

Every one is for sale. Every thing has a price.

This might end the speculation:

"Paris Saint-Germain are set to beat Chelsea to the signing of midfielder Leandro Paredes for around €40 million (£34.9 million).

The 24-year-old Argentinean – who has nine caps for his country – was in Paris on Wednesday ahead of securing the move with sources confident that it will go through."

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2019/01/23/psg-beat-chelsea-349m-deal-midfielderleandro-paredes/

Marcus (#102); BBC are reporting that PSG have made a £50M bid for Doucoure as well as Paredes from Zenit which rather makes a joke of FFP rules unless of course, in negotiations, Bill has told them about his almost innovative and successful "buy now, pay later" strategy, Turkish clubs excepted.

I've just read on MSN Sport that Gana has agreed personal terms and all that is needed is an agreement on the price. Very sad but superb business and perhaps a chance for a young player to step up. Please, not an avenue for Schneiderlin to come back in.

Everton are far more effective as a team with him playing. Selling him shouldn't even be contemplated.

You're right Case #93, probably never have, I just thought a big powerful central midfielder might help our current woes in the middle of the park, as, to me, Keane and Mina need time to strike up a decent partnership and Bernard behind a front two could prove useful in terms of creating goalscoring chances down the middle as well as feeding our wingers.

But rest easy, my solution will never see the light of day and we'll carry on as we are, for the rest of this season anyroad... just wing it, Marco, lad.

Roll on Saturday... a footy treat for the Nation awaits.

Some whisperings (rubbish most likely) that we are in advanced talks with Celta Vigo over the purchase of Lobotka who would be a replacement for Gueye.

Quite a handy player, not quite as good at making interceptions as Gana but better on the ball. Tenacious and able to dribble a little bit, similar to Torreira at Arsenal who I like a lot.

Selling club? Every club is a selling club, apart from maybe, four or five clubs.

Signing players in January? We are skint, wages wise! We cannot afford new players until clubs take off our hands, players on disproportionately high wages.

When Brands came in over the summer, he said he had a huge job on his hands re-balancing the squad – to my eyes he worked well over the summer.

The only downside is he did not find permanent homes for the majority of the players we do not want anymore. However, he must've found it hard to find some other mug to cough up enough dough for the shite we wanted rid of.

It's going to take a minimum of two years. I see a lot of similarities to when Moyes took over. He also inherited an unbalanced squad full of shite. He did not perform miracles in the first six months, neither will Brands.

I think once he's gotten rid of the players, either by selling or when their contracts run out, we'll see the fruits of his experience.

FIFA 19 / Football Manager 19 this is not! This is real life! It's shite – like the majority of the players we need to find new homes for!!

Everton and Sky reporting no bids coming in for Gueye and Silva reporting the player has not been tapped up (cough).

However, it does look like PSG are looking at other possibilities.

Sam #107,

Lubotka is a good shout although I doubt we could afford him. He's still got around 4 years left on his contract and Vigo will probably want in excess of £40M.

At today's press conference, Silva confirmed that we have not had any bid from anyone for Gueye. He also said he doesn't expect any signings which is what Brands said 2 weeks ago.

Gossip in today's rag is they are looking at another player for £35 Million, so why not just stump up the £35 Million to Everton then instead of having digs we are being greedy.

I did not hear them call Barcelona greedy when they paid all that money out to them.

I hope we have noted the subtlety in what Silva is reported to have said which is that he was 'unaware' of any approach and not that there was 'no' approach.

A very subtle difference for someone whose first language is not English while nobody has denied or commented on the player having agreed terms with PSG.

Opening bid of £21.5 million. I expect him to be gone somewhere closer to £30 million. Go and win something, Gana — you won't win fuck-all at Everton.

I'm a lifelong Blue – and, if I were Gana, I'd take it. One last big contract of his career. Almost certainly a trophy or two... and he gets to live in Paris.

If PSG are serious, it's just a case of agreeing the fee – which presumably Marcel will waste on yet another Barcelona squad player.

Four days before the window closes, bid comes in, bit of time for negotiation, sold for £27M.

Pocket the money until the summer. No rush to spend now since we have fuck-all to play for.

We don't have much to play for now and the midfield isn't really working – so rethink it. He's worked hard whilst he's been here, if he wants to go then get a good price and let him.

Invest in the best young (not youth) player we can find in midfield – we aren't going to do anything this season now, so build.

Or hire a defensive coach, ha!

Tell them to go away unless it is a strait swap for Mbappe. :-)

We don’t need money we need good player’s he one of our better ones keep him until we have someone better then sell him

Get the deal done at £35 mill. Invest in Zouma. Then have a loan of Batshuayi to see if he fits in. Agree the fee for Batshuayi if we make it permanent in the summer.

We are going backwards as a club and always will be until we have a wise head running the club. Clueless is the only way to sum it up and irreparable damage is being done. Since Joe Royle Kenwright has driven the club into the ground. He should be ashamed of himself.
If Gueye wants to leave the only thing we can do is sell him bring in McCarthy and look for a replacement. But there's the problem it's almost impossible for Everton to get it right.