Lionel Messi: Ex PSG Star Mocked Gana Gueye’s Everton’s Relegation Woes Under Lampard

• Lionel Messi aimed subtle jabs at Everton's relegation struggles
• He shared a dressing room at PSG with Gana Gueye for two years
• Frank Lampard oversaw the survival before losing his job a year later

Idrissa Gana Gueye has made some interesting revelations on how the Paris Saint-Germain squad used to react to Everton's games during their intense relegation battles in the 2021/2022 season.

Everton, then under Frank Lampard, survived relegation by the skin of their teeth after they beat Crystal Palace on May 19, 2022, sparking wild celebrations at Goodison Park.

Gueye was at that time at Paris Saint-Germain, having left Merseyside in 2019 in a £30 million transfer. The Senegalese defensive midfielder still kept tabs on his former club even as he went about his business in France.

The club's off-pitch problems got to it, with Premier League legend Lampard struggling to produce consistent results. The former Chelsea manager had replaced Rafael Benitez in January 2022.

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What Messi said about Everton

Gueye disclosed that he would watch the Toffees' matches with Kylian Mbappe, while Messi would occasionally throw in a dig about the club's struggles.

"Mbappe would watch Everton. He liked to watch every game. Messi, no. It was difficult for me because we were losing a lot, and he would say, 'Bro, come on, you see your team is losing and playing like this?' but it was funny," as quoted by Liverpool Echo.

The 34-year-old stayed in Paris for three years, winning two Ligue 1 titles before returning to Everton in August 2022. Messi has also since left PSG and joined Inter Miami, while Mbappe is understood to be on his way to Real Madrid.

Everton's situation hasn't loosened up in subsequent years. They finished 17th last season and are currently in 17th place as well. They are, however, servicing a 10-point deduction for flouting Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability Rules pending an appeal.

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African stars who could replace Mbappe

Sports Brief has also compiled a list of the possible African stars who could replace Mbappe at PSG. The pacy winger has reportedly informed the French giants that he would quit the club at the end of this season.

PSG are expected to splash some money in the market this summer in a bid to replace the 25-year-old with Super Eagles forward Victor Osimhen a probable candidate.