- Everton must decide whether to trigger a one-year extension for 36-year-old Idrissa Gueye or move toward younger alternatives this summer.
- Data indicates James Garner has overtaken Gueye as the club’s “complete” midfielder, surpassing him in both defensive duels and creative passing.
- Keeping Gueye for another year provides vital stability and allows the club to focus transfer resources on more urgent squad needs.
As the 2025/26 Premier League season draws to a close, Idrissa Gana Gueye’s future at Everton is under the spotlight. Despite turning 36, the veteran midfielder has been a vital component of David Moyes’ squad
Gueye is currently under contract at Hill Dickinson Stadium until June 2026, but the deal includes anoption for a further year. That gives Everton a critical decision to make this summer.
While he is firmly in the twilight of his career, Gueye’s leadership and experience have been indispensable during the club’s recovery under Moyes. Whether Everton trigger that extension, bring in a replacement, or look toward younger alternatives like Tim Iroegbunam and James Garner will be one of the key stories of the upcoming transfer window.
Gana stats: Age finally catching up with Everton’s midfield general?
As the figures below illustrate, although there has been a drop off in some of Gueye’s metrics, he remains very effective. What’s more part of any drop off could be attributable to the hangover of AFCON, something that has also impacted on his minutes played this season.
| Metric | Gueye 25/26 (Age 36) | Gueye 24/25 (Age 35) | Advantage |
| Minutes Played | 2276 | 3348 | 24/25 |
| Duel Win % | 96.1 | 94.5 | 25/26 |
| Possession Won | 63.9 | 87.8 | 24/25 |
| Prog. Carries | 56.1 | 37.4 | 25/26 |
| Forward Passes | 76.7 | 60.6 | 25/26 |
| Key Passes | 43.5 | 41.5 | 25/26 |
| Prog. Passes | 49.6 | 54.8 | 24/25 |
Everton midfield battle: Finding long-term successor to Gana
When it comes to comparisons with other midfielders at Everton there is a mixed picture. In Gueye’s absence, Tim Iroegbunam has sometimes been deployed in the ‘Gana role’
Idrissa Gueye vs. Tim Iroegbunam: Can the 22-year-old master the ‘Gueye role’?
| Metric | Idrissa Gueye (36) | Tim Iroegbunam (22) | Advantage |
| Minutes Played | 2276 | 1304 | Gueye |
| Duel Win % | 96.1 | 91.7 | Gueye |
| Possession Won | 63.9 | 98.3 | Iroegbunam |
| Prog. Carries | 56.1 | 58.5 | Iroegbunam |
| Forward Passes | 76.7 | 5.4 | Gueye |
| Key Passes | 43.5 | 7.4 | Gueye |
| Prog. Passes | 49.6 | 5.0 | Gueye |
While Iroegbunam can certainly match Gana defensively, it’s clear that the younger player is not as good with the ball (even if we account for the disparity in minutes). This is something that Evertonians regularly complain about. Iroegbunam regularly fails the ‘eye test’ when in possession.
James Garner vs. Idrissa Gueye: Has Garner become Everton’s most complete midfielder?
Although Gana has traditionally led the way in duels and possession won, this season there has been a change as the head-to-head comparison with James Garner below illustrates.
| Metric | Idrissa Gueye (36) | James Garner (25) | Advantage |
| Minutes Played | 2276 | 3370 | Garner |
| Duel Win % | 96.1 | 99.4 | Garner |
| Possession Won | 63.9 | 96.7 | Garner |
| Prog. Carries | 56.1 | 43.3 | Gana |
| Forward Passes | 76.7 | 83.9 | Garner |
| Key Passes | 43.5 | 76.7 | Garner |
| Prog. Passes | 49.6 | 73.9 | Garner |
The data suggests that James Garner has officially succeeded Gueye as the “complete” midfielder in Everton’s system. Garner matches or exceeds his elite defensive efficiency (99.4% Duel Win rate) while offering a creative dimension that Gana cannot match, particularly in key passes and progressive play.
Everton’s midfield verdict: Why keeping Gueye for 2026/27 makes sense
Could James Garner be the long-term Gueye replacement? Or would limiting him to a more defensive role rob the team of his qualities elsewhere?
As he matures will Tim Iroegbunam be able to improve his possession game or will he remain more defensively minded? And what of Merlin Rohl? Evertonians have only been given a glimpse of what the young German can provide so far.
While it is clear that the veteran midfielder will not go on forever and in James Garner Everton have a player who can perform the ‘Gueye role’ better, with so many questions surrounding the composition of the Everton midfield, it seems prudent to hold on to him for an additional year.
Other areas of the pitch require more immediate attention, and while Gana is still returning good numbers, he can give David Moyes some breathing space as he continues his rebuild.
