Idrissa Gana Gueye

Idrissa Gueye is a 36-year-old Senegalese defensive midfielder currently playing for Everton in the Premier League. A seasoned presence in English football, Gueye returned to Goodison Park after his time in France and has remained a reliable fixture in the Everton midfield, bringing experience and defensive discipline to a side that has needed both in abundance this season.

Across 22 appearances in the 2025/26 campaign, Gueye has contributed 2 goals and 2 assists while averaging a rating of 6.8, reflecting his steady if unspectacular influence. His recent form has shown a notable upturn: he picked up an assist and earned a 7.67 rating in Everton's impressive 3-0 home win over Chelsea, then followed that with another assist and a 7.2 rating in a 2-2 draw at Brentford. Those performances suggest he is hitting a productive patch in the second half of the season, having looked more subdued in earlier outings against Newcastle and Bournemouth. He has started all five of his most recent matches, underlining his importance to the manager's plans in central midfield.

Gueye's role at Everton is built around ball-winning and positional security rather than creativity, though his recent assists indicate he is contributing further up the pitch when the opportunity arises. A multiple Ligue 1 winner during his time in France, he brings a trophy-laden background to a club still finding its footing in the top flight. There is no significant transfer activity to report from the current window, and at 36 his focus appears firmly on contributing to Everton's Premier League survival and consolidation. SportSignals' AI analysis engine has tracked Everton's recent matches as competitive, with the Chelsea result in particular standing out as a high-signal performance.

In Everton's next fixture, the key question around Gueye will be whether he can maintain the creative output he has shown in recent weeks while continuing to provide the defensive cover his team relies on. Observers should watch how he manages his positioning when Everton are pressed high, and whether his assist numbers continue to climb as the season reaches its final stretch.