Marco Silva Says Everton Have Rejected PSG's Transfer Offer for Idrissa Gueye

Everton manager Marco Silva confirmed on Monday the club have rejected an offer from Paris Saint-Germain for midfielder Idrissa Gueye.

It was reported by Sky Sports that PSG had lodged a bid of £21.5 million for the Senegal international as they seek to improve their depleted midfield in the January transfer window.

When asked about the interest at his press conference, Silva said the Toffees have turned down an offer and the club was not open to selling Gueye for the price mentioned, per Ryan Benson of Goal:

"We have rejected the offer. He is a really important player to us. We don't put [players] on the market.

"For clubs to buy our players, they have to look for the value of the player. I cannot see this price as the right value for the player. You know my opinion since the first day you started speaking about this possible offer.

"From a technical point of view, as a manager, he is a really important player for us, and he is one player we don't think to lose in this market. Of course, after some moments it is a matter of money and it is up to the club to decide, but from my technical point of view he is a player who is really important for us."

The midfielder known as Gana has proven to be an inspired signing for the Toffees. He arrived from Aston Villa in the summer of 2016 for a fee of just £7 million and has become one of the most effective defensive midfielders in the Premier League.

In terms of tackling and intercepting, there aren't many better than the 29-year-old in English football's top flight:

PSG's interest in the player does make sense, as their otherwise stacked squad is light when it comes to midfield.

Adrien Rabiot appears unlikely to play for the club again after he's been marginalised following a failure to sign a contract extension. The other established midfielder in the squad is Marco Verratti, who has been sidelined recently due to injury.

Given the scarcity of resources in this facet of the team, it's not a shock that PSG appear to be keen to sign two midfielders. Manager Thomas Tuchel said they are "waiting" for a deal to be finalised for Zenit Saint Petersburg's Leandro Paredes.

Tuchel did have more curious comments about that potential acquisition, per Kristof Terreur of Het Laatste Nieuws:

Gueye would bring crucial defensive protection if he was to join, potentially adding some structure to a PSG midfield that has been short of bite in the past.

Given his age, the high-profile interest and the fact Everton's season is effectively over after their FA Cup elimination against Millwall on Saturday, they could surely be tempted into a sale. Still, convincing Everton to cash in mid-season would surely require a more substantial offer from the French champions.