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Everton have told Jean-Philippe Gbamin he can leave the club in January as Rafa Benitez continues his winter business.
The Ivorian, who signed from Mainz for £25 million in 2019, has made seven appearances for the Toffees in what has been an injury-plagued misery on Merseyside.
The now 26-year-old made his debut eight days after signing for the club as a first-half substitute against Crystal Palace after Morgan Schneiderlin’s sending off, before starting and impressing against Watford the following week.
However, a tendon injury to his right quadriceps muscle sustained shortly after ruled the big money signing out for eight months before an Achilles injury, suffered in training, prolonged his return until April 2021, one year, seven months and 19 days after his last appearance.
It was hoped that Gbamin would see out the final months of the season under Carlo Ancelotti, however, a further training injury ended his season.
Under Benitez, the Ivory Coast international has struggled to break into the side and as a result, he has been allowed to leave the club either on loan or permanently.
Gbamin was named on the bench for Everton’s 3-2 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion at Goodison Park last weekend, alongside Andre Gomes and Fabian Delph who also signed for the club in the same transfer window.
The former Lens player has featured four times this season, most recently as a substitute for the final 20 minutes in Everton’s draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Despite the January transfer window being open for six days, Benitez has already made two signings and is expected to welcome more before the January 31st deadline.
Everton’s first signing of the window was Ukrainian left-back Vitaliy Mykolenko for an undisclosed fee from Dynamo Kyiv on New Year’s Day.
New Year, new Blue. ? pic.twitter.com/xzGQBblFXl
— Everton (@Everton) January 1, 2022
Despite his young age, the 22-year-old has vast experience winning the Ukrainian Premier League and Cup last season, making 14 Champions League appearances, and over the summer, starting four of Ukraine’s five matches at EURO 2020.
The Toffees have also completed the signing of right-back Nathan Patterson from Rangers for a fee of around £11.5 million plus add-ons, a record fee received by the Scottish champions.
Patterson, who labelled his transfer from the blue side of Glasgow to the blue side of Liverpool as an ‘easy choice’, represented Scotland in their first major tournament in 22 years in June, and at club level, he played in three of Rangers’ Europe League group stage matches.
Despite only starting twice in the Scottish Premiership this season, the 20-year-old’s high potential will see him provide immediate competition for club captain Seamus Coleman who turned 33 in October.
Both Mykolenko and Patterson were identified by the recruitment team under the stewardship of Marcel Brands, who left his Director of football role in December after three years on Merseyside, although last summer, Everton had two bids rejected by Rangers for Patterson.
Both signings will be in contention to make their debuts this weekend when Everton travel to Championship side Hull City in the Third Round of the FA Cup.
Benitez hopes further business will be completed in January with the idea being to ‘bring in new faces and increase competition between players.’
Two of the Spaniard’s four summer signings have been crucial towards keeping Everton afloat with Demarai Gray and Andros Townsend scoring eight of the Toffees’ 23 Premier League goals this season.
One name Benitez is believed to have made an offer for is Newcastle United midfielder Sean Longstaff, a player who the Spaniard handed his Premier League debut four seasons ago. However, the Magpies are reluctant in selling the 24-year-old.
Longstaff, who has made 67 league appearances for his boyhood club, is believed to have been offered to the Toffees, along with £22.5 million, for Lucas Digne.
Digne has been a key member of Everton’s starting lineup since his arrival from Barcelona in 2018, but in recent weeks, he has been frozen out after a much-publicised falling out with manager Benitez.
The Frenchman’s last appearance for the club came in the Toffees’ humiliating 4-1 defeat to Liverpool at the start of December, and after a three-match absence from the side, he returned as a substitute last weekend.
The 28-year-old, who signed a four-year contract in February, was greeted warmly by Evertonians when he started warming up, with supporters taking to their feet as the stadium chanted his name.
However, despite their love for their ‘magic left-back’, Digne is likely to leave Everton this winter.
Again. Lucas Digne is not gonna join Newcastle in January, he has different plans. No way. ? #NUFC
Chelsea are still taking time to decide on LB situation, other Premier League clubs moving on Digne. He's leaving Everton this winter.https://t.co/LFXgSK822O
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 5, 2022
Chelsea and West Ham are among a number of Premier League clubs interested in the left-back who is said to prefer a move to London, although Italian side Napoli have also shown interest.
Everton will be hoping the additions of Mykolenko and Patterson will bolster a squad, which at times this season, has been slim due to COVID-19 and injuries.
Against Brighton, Benitez opted to play Coleman at left wing-back, despite Digne’s presence on the bench, before Ben Godfrey reverted to a position he has played in on numerous occasions for the final 15 minutes.
With Everton eight points above relegation, their upcoming January and February fixtures will be pivotal in shaping the remainder of their season.
The Toffees face Norwich City and Newcastle within their next four matches with Aston Villa, Leeds United and Southampton, all teams around Everton in the table, still to come.
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