Is Pape Gueye the signing to complete Everton’s midfield?

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Gueye has been a name on Everton’s radar for some time, with Spanish outlet Fichajes, albeit of questionable reliability, now reporting that an agreement between the Blues and the midfielder has been reached.

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It follows reports from other outlets, including Marca, that Gueye had been a leading summer target for David Moyes. A transfer fee of an initial €28m (£23.8m) with a further €5m (£4.2m) in add-ons has been discussed between the clubs.

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Should the move materialise, it should be considered a coup for an Everton side without European football. Villarreal rejected offers in the region of €40m for Gueye in January, with Galatasaray among his suitors. The Senegal international opted to turn down a transfer in favour of seeing out the season at El Madrigal.

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The 27-year-old was an integral part of Villarreal’s Champions League qualification last season and has been an outstanding performer for club and country in recent years.

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He was named in the AFCON Team of the Tournament earlier this year, alongside Idrissa Gueye, as Senegal secured the title before the controversy of being stripped. It was Gueye’s fine finish in extra-time that decided the final on the field, concluding a fantastic tournament for the midfielder, who led the knockout stages for shots (16), shots on target (9) and goals (3). This summer, he scored twice and assisted another for Senegal at the 2026 World Cup.

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His mid-season showings for Senegal were the continuation of good form at club level. Gueye scored five goals in 26 league starts for The Yellow Submarine, and produced some encouraging numbers with his distribution. Gueye ranked in the top five midfielders in La Liga last season for forward pass ratio (3rd), through passes completed (3rd), progressive passes (4th), and long passes completed (5th) per 90 minutes.

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For a predominantly defensive-minded midfielder, Gueye’s ball-winning numbers are unremarkable. But with James Garner excelling in that area last season, Gueye’s athleticism and ability to cover the ground with long-legged strides look an ideal complement to last season’s Player of the Year. With Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Hayden Hackney buzzing around ahead of that axis, and Merlin Röhl offering further dynamism, it’s a midfield makeup that looks exciting.

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In his prime years, at a comparatively modest fee given the sums spent on midfielders elsewhere, it’s a potential deal that makes sense for Everton.

 

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