Everton’s third summer signing Jean-Pierre Gbamin, who arrived from German club Mainz for £25m has scarcely featured due to injury this season. The Ivory Coast international has been out of action since August, and it was recently revealed he is set to miss the remainder of this season after undergoing two operations on his hamstring. In total, he has made a meagre two appearances for the Toffees this term and is currently enduring the lengthiest absence of his career having missed 26 matches.
He was brought into Goodison Park as the replacement for bustling midfielder Idrissa Gueye, now of PSG, and his previous form in Germany suggests upon his return Everton should allow him to fulfil the role. During his final Bundesliga season, Gbamin proved himself to be an adept box to box midfielder, who could influence proceedings across the pitch. Defensively he averaged 1.6 tackles per match, along with one interception, though that was down from the previous term where he had recorded 2.6 and 1.7 tackles and interceptions per games respectively.
In each Bundesliga season, the 24-year-old’s pass accuracy increased eventually reaching a peak of 80.4 per cent from an average of 43 passes per 90 minutes, epitomising his significance in channelling Mainz’s play from the base of midfield. Furthermore, the Ivorian averaged 0.7 key passes per match, as his creative influence continued to grow. But his impact in attacking areas did not stop there, as he began tacking on more shots per game 1.2, than in previous seasons, which resulted in Gbamin scoring more frequently, providing two goals.
Gbamin’s progress was only heading upwards in Germany, and he has been dreadfully unfortunate a reoccurring thigh injury has halted his development in its tracks. But that does not mean Everton staff or fans should write off the holding midfielder. Upon his return, the 24-year-old should provide a defensive solidity and a dynamic boost to the Toffees’ engine room which could get the best out of a player such as Gylfi Sigurdsson, who has struggled to replicate last season’s form without Gueye alongside him in the heart of midfield, dropping form scoring 13 Premier League goals to one.
