Idrissa Gana Gueye Leaves Everton After Seven Seasons

Everton have drawn a firm line under one of the most enduring modern stories at Goodison Park, confirming that Idrissa Gana Gueye has left the club after his contract expired at the end of June.

No new deal. No late twist. Just a clean break for a midfielder who, across two spells, came to embody Everton’s grit.

The 36-year-old, whose deal ran out on June 30, held talks with the club’s hierarchy in recent weeks. Those discussions ended with a joint decision: Gueye will move on and “pursue a new challenge elsewhere.” He is now expected to join Saudi Pro League side Al Diriyah.

It closes a chapter that stretches across 236 appearances in royal blue, a body of work built on interceptions, lung-busting recoveries and a refusal to let games drift.

A standard-setter in the engine room

Gueye first arrived at Goodison from Aston Villa in August 2016. Within months, he was the heartbeat of Everton’s midfield, a specialist ball-winner who gave more expressive teammates the licence to play.

He left for Paris Saint-Germain in 2019, spending three years in France, but his story with Everton was never quite finished. In August 2022 he returned, older, wiser, but with the same appetite for the ugly work in midfield that supporters had never forgotten.

The second spell brought fewer headlines but no drop in standards. In a period of turbulence for the club, his reliability and presence in the dressing room carried real weight.

Manager David Moyes underlined that influence as the departure was confirmed.

“Everyone at Everton is hugely grateful for Gana’s dedication, professionalism, and influence on the pitch throughout his two spells at the club,” he said, highlighting the veteran’s impact far beyond his defensive numbers.

Moyes pointed to Gueye’s leadership as a key factor “particularly in our final season at Goodison,” a campaign loaded with emotion and pressure. When the club needed calm, he provided it. When it needed intensity, he set the tone.

“His commitment to the club over many years was exceptional,” Moyes added. “Everyone connected to Everton thanks Gana – he will always be welcome at the club – and we wish him and his family all the very best for the future.”

From Goodison to a new frontier

For Everton, this is a strategic and emotional decision: allowing a 36-year-old mainstay to leave as the squad evolves again under Moyes. For Gueye, it is one last big move, a switch to the Saudi Pro League and Al Diriyah, where his experience and reputation will carry serious weight.

He departs without fanfare on the pitch, but with his place in recent Everton history secure. A midfielder who never stopped running, never ducked a challenge, and rarely let standards slip.

Goodison Park moves on. So does Idrissa Gana Gueye. The question now is how Everton fill the void of a player who, for seven seasons, made the hardest job on the pitch look routine.