Everton lost Idrissa Gueye to PSG in 2019. Gueye was one of the most important assets in the Everton team and left a huge void to be filled. In search of a holding midfielder, the Toffees scouted the markets of Germany, Italy and England. Jean-Philippe Gbamin was signed from Mainz 05 for £25 million.
He was expected to seamlessly draft into the starting lineup and provide Marco Silva with a strong base in the midfield. However, after just 135 minutes of footballing action, Gbamin’s Everton career hit an unexpected bump and was derailed for the rest of the season. A hamstring injury ruled him out for eight to nine months.
When nearing fitness in 2020, Gbamin suffered an Achilles tendon rupture which almost forced him out for a year. After recovery in April 2021, Carlo Ancelotti did use him in one game as a substitute. It felt that the player had finally left his injury ghosts behind but bad luck struck again as he picked a medial collateral ligament injury which ended his season.
So since, signing for Everton, the Ivorian midfielder had spent over 600 days on the sidelines, suffering three severe injuries. Last season, he was finally available for a longer stretch and Rafa Benitez did give him some chances to prove his worth. Gbamin couldn’t make much of the chances given to him and struggled to make an impact.
Everton need to offload Jean-Philippe Gbamin
Soon, he was neglected and told that he could find a loan and move elsewhere. The former Mainz midfielder moved to CSKA Moscow on loan for the remainder of the season. Gbamin became a different man in Russia. All the minor niggles that were plaguing him had disappeared as he went there and played the entire 90 minutes in nine of eleven Russian Premier League games.
This was a fit Gbamin that Everton never had the privilege of seeing. He was athletic, powerful and technically sound. Now, with his loan deal expiring, the Ivorian is set to return to Everton. Frank Lampard is likely to assess the player in the summer and it’s still unclear if the Toffees will attempt to sell him or keep him at the club.
Everton have been linked to holding midfielders like Cheick Doucoure and Joao Palhinha. If Lampard is aiming to bring a new No.6, Gbamin’s time could be up at Everton. His fruitful campaign with CSKA Moscow means that Gbamin can have suitors this summer. If he had a terrible campaign, finding a new club would have been an arduous task.
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Sadly, the association between Gbamin and Everton hasn’t worked out. It is the right time for the Toffees to cut their losses and offload him. For Gbamin, it will be best for him to start with a clean slate elsewhere. Gbamin seemed to have enjoyed his time at CSKA Moscow, so a return shouldn’t be ruled out.
He’s valued at £9 million by Transfermarkt and pockets £65,000 per week. Everton need to cut their losses and either sell him permanently or send him out on loan to a club that will cover most part of his wages this summer.
Should Jean-Philippe Gbamin be given another chance at Goodison Park?