Aston Villa manager Roberto Di Matteo has confirmed that Idrissa Gueye is on the verge of leaving the club to join Everton.
The Toffees triggered the 26-year-old's £7.1m release clause earlier this week and have been discussing personal terms with the player over the last few days.
Di Matteo stressed that he does not want to sell the midfielder, but admitted that his "hands are tied" due to the clause in his contract.
"It's public Everton have triggered his clause and he's going to leave. There's no news so far but the expectation is, once personal terms are agreed and a medical [is done], he's going to go," he told reporters.
"There are other clubs interested, that's right, but the only official bid so far has been from Everton. There's not much I can do because he had a clause in his contract and that's something I inherited and my hands are tied. We will be losing him.
"The fact he is leaving is basically down to the clause he has in his contract, otherwise there would be no chance. We're not a club looking to sell, we don't have to, we don't need to."
Gueye, who made 38 appearances during his solitary season at Villa, will become Everton's second signing of the summer after Maarten Stekelenburg.
Barney Corkhill
