Everton boss Marco Silva has hinted Paris Saint-Germain were never close to prising Idrissa Gueye away from them in January. The Ligue 1 giants made an offer reportedly worth £21million for the Senegalese midfielder although Silva indicated such a sum was never going to be enough.
Silva admitted Gueye’s head was likely to have been turned by the prospect of playing in the Champions League, but insisted the 25-year-old is happy at Everton and would soon be back to his best. “I know Idrissa very well, he is a good professional and a fantastic boy,” Silva said. “He really likes our club, he is enjoying playing in our club. “When a club like PSG comes in it is normal he starts to think about his future, but now he has stopped, the market is closed, and I don’t have doubts we will see the best Idrissa Gana again. “You can use the word disappointed and of course it was a good opportunity for him, but it is a fantastic opportunity for him to stay with us, also.”
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Asked if the deal ever appeared close to happening, Silva said: “From the feedback I had with the board, they never told me the deal will be done or not, they didn’t tell me it was close, and they never told me we need to prepare to replace Gana. “I think with this information you can take your conclusion.”
