According to France Football (via GFFN), Everton didn’t allow defensive midfielder Idrissa Gueye leave for French giants Paris Saint Germain during the January transfer window because Lyon’s Lucas Tousart turned them down.

The Toffees identified the Ligue 1 midfielder as a potential replacement for the Senegalese, but the French youth international turned them and Russian giants Zenit St Petersburg down in order to remain with Lyon until summer.

Everton also considered Watford’s Abdoulaye Doucoure as an option should Gueye leave, but they quickly dismissed the thought as they deemed him too expensive.

The Goodison Park outfit reportedly demanded £35million for the services of the 29-year-old, and while PSG weren’t keen on parting with that amount, Everton were ready to negotiate only if they were able to sign a replacement.

As reported by Sky Sports, PSG tabled £21.5million and £26.2million bids for his signature towards the end of the transfer window, while the former Aston Villa mam also pushed for an exit by submitting a transfer request.

However, Everton weren’t ready to let go of one of their key players – one that has established himself in the first team since arriving in 2016 – midway through the campaign, and it will be interesting to see what happens come summer.