Former Everton midfielder Jean-Philippe Gbamin, who was once signed for £25 million, has now joined second-division French club USL Dunkerque.
After leaving Everton as a free agent in the summer, Gbamin, now 28 years old, has secured a new opportunity with Dunkerque in Ligue 2, the second tier of French football.
According to L’Equipe, the Ivory Coast international has signed a short-term contract with the club. This move allows Gbamin to be closer to his family, who reside near Lille.
READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
Back in 2019, Everton signed Gbamin from German club Mainz on a five-year deal. His agent, Bernard Collignon, revealed that Arsenal, Tottenham, and Liverpool had also shown interest in him before he joined Everton.
However, Gbamin’s time at Everton was plagued by fitness issues and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. He suffered an Achilles injury while playing football and tennis at home and struggled to regain his form during loan spells at CSKA Moscow and Trabzonspor.
In an effort to revive his career, Gbamin decided to terminate the final year of his contract with Everton, forfeiting approximately £5 million in wages. He only managed to make eight appearances for the club.
Gbamin has represented Ivory Coast’s national team 16 times and was previously a France U21 international. Since leaving Bundesliga side Mainz, he has played in just 45 club games over the past four years.