According to reports in The Sun, Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye is a summer target for Arsenal, who want to turn him into their own N’Golo Kante.

What’s the story, then?

Well, the Senegal international has been one of the best performers in his position this season in a role that seems to be more and more important when you look at the impact Kante has made at Leicester City and Chelsea.

Scouts of the north London club have been watching Gueye closely and believe he has all of the attributes to do a similar job for them as the one that Kante is currently doing for the Premier League leaders.

Would Everton cash in on him?

Let’s just say, it would probably need a big offer to even attract their interest.

The Toffees signed him from relegated Aston Villa for just £7.1m in the summer, but as Ronald Koeman looks for his side to challenge for the Champions League spots in the future, it would surely have to be a sizeable bid to convince the Merseyside club to sell.

A new contract is already said to be in the pipeline for the Senegalese midfielder.

How good is he?

If his 18 months in the Premier League so far are anything to go by, then he is clearly very good.

In fact, statistically he was only second to Kante in terms of tackles and interceptions despite of Villa’s dismal campaign, and he was the best in Europe in his position over the whole of 2016.

Could Everton replace him?

Steve Walsh, Everton’s director of football, discovered Kante during his time with Leicester and then recommended Gueye to the Toffees last summer, so he would certainly be confident that he could find a similar player next summer – and probably at a reasonable fee too.