In a twist on the usual transfer rumours, it’s being reported that Everton might get an unexpected opportunity to try and sell Jean-Philippe Gbamin.
The Ivory Coast midfielder has been to put it mildly, chronically unlucky with injury and has played barely more than a few times for Everton since signing in summer 2019.
He’s been almost permanently injured since joining to replace Idrissa Gueye who left for French giants PSG that same transfer window.
It’s been perhaps the most espensive failure in a long list of pretty dismal signings that has for far too long charaterised the Toffees transfer business.
After spending almost eighteen months out from the early weeks of the 2019-20 campaign he was finally ready to return to action late last season.
Then manager Carlo Ancelotti gave the former Mainz player some unexpected game-time as he came on against Crystal Palace in a 1-1 draw.
But true to form, he then got hurt straight away again in training and apart from a league cup appearance at Huddersfield, basically hasn’t been seen since. This season he’s suffered the injury-jinx once more, even succumbing to toothache at one stage!
I had hoped at the end of last season that the 25-year-old might have been able to contribute at long last to the Blues cause in this campaign particularly given the apparent lack of funds to strengthen at the moment.
While there was a pressing need for players at full-back and up front perhaps Gbamin could finally return to fitness and offer another powerful and dynamic presence on midfield solving the need to bring in another player there. This was especially important as both Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure had their own injury problems last term.
Alas though given all his bad luck it seems as though that won’t be the case and it raises questions over what future Gbamin now has at the club.
But it’s also left Everton with a potential quandry because if they couldn’t get anything out of him due to all those injuries, they would find it tough to convince anyone to buy him.
Well, now it seems as though Turkish club Fernebahce might be willing to consider a deal for him in the upcoming January window.
According to reports originating in the Turkish media the Super Lig club could be ready to end Gbamin’s seemingly ill-fated stay on Merseyside.
This might indeed be the best for all concerned and perhaps it would give Rafa Benitez some much-needed additional funds to spend strengthening his threadbare squad.
The problem is that whatever fee the Toffees get would be far less than the £35 million odd the club paid for him two years ago. So it would represent another bad piece of business financially meaning the Blues were taking a further substantial loss on a player they signed.
What do you think, should Everton cut their losses and sell Gbamin if they can?