Aston Villa boss Roberto Di Matteo has all but confirmed that midfielder Idrissa Gueye will be an Everton player before the end of the summer transferwindow.
Speaking toVilla's website, Di Matteo conceded that Gueye's £7.2m releaseclause has been activated by Everton, which should lead to the Senegal international leaving Villa Park in the near future.
Di Matteo said: "It's quite public. As far as we are concerned, [Gueye's transfer to Everton]isgoing to happen.
"I would have liked to keep him but he had a clause in his contract which has been triggered."
Gueye joined the Villans from Ligue 1 club Lille last summer but endured a torrid first season at Aston Villa which was capped off by relegation to the Championship.
More stats to suggest Idrissa Gueye may be a handy signing for Everton #efc #avfc pic.twitter.com/smfYKpYrLq
But the midfield powerhouse managed to keep a bit of his dignity despite his clubs' disastrous season, as he finished just behind Premier League Champions Leicester City's N'Golo Kante for interceptions as well as avery respectable placing fordefensive statistics.
Everton boss Ronald Koeman has brought in former Leicester City Head of Recruitment Steve Walsh, which could easily be one of the main driving forces behind the deal as the Foxes originally looked at Gueye last season before eventually landing Kante instead.
Di Matteo also spoke about the future of other Villa stars including another of last season's shining lights, Jordan Ayew. When asked about the youngster's future, the boss said: "We are in a position where we don't have to sell players.
"Jordan Ayew is going to be part of our plans and is going to stay here. Within a good team, his qualities will shine."
But despite Di Matteo's insistence on not needing to sell any players, he did express his desire to trim the size of his squad to a more manageable number.
He said: "I have always said the squad is too big and I would like to reduce the numbers.There will certainly be more movement during this transfer window.
"I am not going to go into numbers but there will certainly be more going out than coming in."