Report: Everton triggers Gueye's Aston Villa release clause

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Looking to freshen up a deep-lying midfield spot typically manned by Gareth Barry and James McCarthy, Everton has reportedly met Aston Villa's evaluation of Idrissa Gueye.

Deserving of top flight football based solely on last season, Sky Sports reports that the Toffees have triggered a speculated £7.1-million clause in Gueye's contract.

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A highlight among a squad where positives were scarce, Gueye, 26, started all but three of Villa's league matches last year. While fellow Ligue 1 transplant N'Golo Kante got all the headlines at Leicester City, the Senegalese international Gueye was statistically comparable to his fellow defensive midfielder.

Reports suggest that Marseille has also met Villa's evaluation of Gueye, who has become surplus to requirements with the Birmingham side after new gaffer Roberto Di Matteo's acquisition of Aaron Tshibola.