Everton face Idrissa Gana Gueye contract fight but have possible replacement lined up already

Everton’s rebuild has got off to a slow start this summer with David Moyes no stranger to having to shop on a budget.

The Toffees boss has around £100m to play with which seems a lot until you consider that £30-40m buys barely an average player or a youngster with potential in 2025.

There are a lot of senior players that need to be replaced and, after losing Abdoulaye Doucoure, the next to go could be Idrissa Gana Gueye, if a report from France is accurate.

The Senegal midfielder was instrumental in the recent 3-1 win over England and his advancing years, Gueye turns 36 in September, don’t seem to be having any affect on his considerable powers just yet, although Father Time waits for no man.

Stade Rennais eye Idrissa Gana Gueye contract offer as Everton wait

Gueye has just a couple of weeks left on his Everton contract and Stade Rennais are said to be hoping to persuade the powerhouse midfielder to return to France: “With his contract expiring on June 30 and his contract with Everton yet to be extended, Idrissa Gana Gueye is the subject of strong interest from Stade Rennais and its coach, Habib Beye, who particularly appreciates the experience of the former Parisian,” claimed Footmercato.

“Idrissa Gana Gueye may be 35 years old, but he remains a prime target in the summer transfer window. It must be said that his status as a free agent is attracting interest from many clubs. In recent days, it was even thought that Everton, his current club until June 30, had managed to extend his contract.

“But the truth would be quite different. While talks are underway with the Toffees, the Senegalese international midfielder, who has made 37 Premier League appearances in 2024-25 and played the entire match won by Senegal in England (1-3), has not yet accepted the one-year offer, plus an optional one-year, proposed by Everton.”

A virtual two-year deal is a good offer from Everton – depending on the wages – as not many clubs will give that sort of security for a veteran who is closer to 40 than he is to 30.

Who do Everton have lined up to replace Gueye?

If Gueye does decide to leave, Everton might already have found the perfect replacement after being linked with Mohamed Diomande of Rangers.

The Ivory Coast international has a similar profile to Granit Xhaka in that he can play a variety of roles in the engine room and offers composure in possession with hard work when his team doesn’t have the ball.

Diomande also wouldn’t be as expensive as some other targets given that the SPFL continues to undervalue their top talent. Outside of Celtic, there are bargains to be had. Should Rangers get offered even double their £4.3m outlay on Diomande, they would struggle to turn it down.

Working on a budget, Moyes needs players who can play in more than one position with Diomande even popping up at left-back in the Europa League for Rangers last season.

Gueye would be a tough player to replace, however, replacing him with someone who is cut from the same cloth wouldn’t be a bad place to start.