Frank Lampard reportedly missed out on bringing back Idrissa Gana Gueye to Everton on transfer deadline day, leading him to sign Dele Alli and Donny van de Beek.
The new Toffees boss was only officially announced as manager on Monday morning and got two deals over the line that same day - Van de Beek's loan from Manchester United and Alli on a permanent basis after leaving Tottenham Hotspur.
But Lampard had missed out on another midfield target in the form of Gueye, who left Goodison Park to join Paris Saint-Germain in 2019 for a fee of around £30million.
The Athletic, as quoted by ESPN, claim that PSG were unwilling to sell the Senegal international, putting a halt to any hopes Everton had of re-signing him.
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Gueye, who has entered the final 18 months of his contract, is currently away at the Africa Cup of Nations and will compete in a semi-final against Burkina Faso on Wednesday.
The midfielder played 108 times for Everton after arriving from Aston Villa in 2016 and became a fan favourite, evidenced by his emotional farewell message when he departed for Paris two-and-a-half years ago.
"To The Blues, Thank YOU! Since my arrival I have felt at home at this club, you have welcomed me and my family with open arms," Gueye wrote on Twitter.
"Everton FC gave me the opportunity to continue in the Premier League and the last three years I have had some amazing experiences which I will cherish forever.
"I am grateful to have had the love and support of you all throughout this journey and I must say no matter the or performances the support was always there.
"As you know I am about to start a new journey, a journey that I have dreamed about [since I was] a kid a when this opportunity presented itself I couldn't turn it down.
"To my teammates and coaches I will miss you and will continue to support you.
"Everton... we are family and will continue to be and for me Merseyside will always be BLUE #COYB."
Although Gueye would have been a coup for the Toffees, the two signings that did come to fruition are solid consolations.
Van de Beek's arrival was confirmed on Monday evening but Lampard and co were granted an extension to finalise Alli's deal after the 11pm deadline.
After his departure from Tottenham was confirmed just after midnight, the 25-year-old told his new club's website. "I'm eager to get started and can't wait for my first game in an Everton shirt.
"I'm looking forward to helping the team and the opportunity to work with the new manager Frank Lampard.
"I've had a few good conversations with him [Lampard] already, he's a player I admired through his whole career watching him. I'm pleased to work with him, it's very exciting, I'm sure we can do great things together.
"I just want to be happy playing football. Working with Lampard, and the great players Everton have got, is a great opportunity for me to do that. I'm excited to go there, show the fans what I can do, and help the Club as much as I can."
