Jean-Phillipe Gbamin may have to wait until 2024 to find a new club with the former Everton and Premier League misfit unlikely to secure himself a return to Russian football.
Then again, a few months out of the game may not necessarily be a bad thing.
After four years ruined by near-endless injury issues, Jean-Philippe Gbamin could do worse than to use this time to build up his fitness once again, restricted to just six Premier League appearances since joining Everton in a £25 million deal from Mainz back in 2019.
Gbamin, per Transfermarkt, missed 14 games during a loan spell at Trabzonspor last term. His agent, meanwhile, believes that the Ivory Coast international – released by Everton in September – could remain a free-agent in January.
Everton released Jean-Philippe Gbamin
“A return to Russia? For now, this is out of the question, since the market in Russia is closed,” Bernard Collignon tells Sport24 of the one-time CSKA Moscow man.
“There is also nothing to say about interest from clubs. We’ll see in the winter.”
Gbamin did impress initially during his time in Turkey, only for familiar issues to scupper his hopes of a permanent stay on the banks of the Black Sea.
“Trabzonspor are investigating (keeping) this player for next season,” former Turkish international Giray Kacar claimed midway through the 2022/23 campaign.
“In my opinion, Gbamin is one of the best Trabzonspor have ever had. His physicality, speed, and his vision is good, in my opinion.”
Everton trim their squad
Gbamin was one of a number of high-earning players let go by Everton over the summer, the Toffees siezing the opportunity to trim down a bloated wage bill.
Moise Kean, Alex Iwobi, Demarai Gray, Asmir Begovic, Neal Maupay, Tom Davis and Yerry Mina also departed, with Everton reinvesting some of those funds in tying rising star Jarrad Branthwaite down to a new deal.
Branthwaite put pen to paper until the summer of 2027 on Friday.
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