Agent says he didn’t want £25m midfielder to sign for Tottenham or Arsenal

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Jean-Phillippe Gbamin’s agent Bernard Collignon has now claimed that both Arsenal and Tottenham wanted to sign the midfielder in 2019.

Collignon was speaking to The Guardian on the back of Gbamin now becoming a free agent at the age of 28-years-old.

Gbamin joined Everton in 2019 for a fee of £25m but his agent insisted that much bigger clubs did want to sign the midfielder.

However, Collignon thought a move to Arsenal or Tottenham would be a bad idea for Gbmain.

Collignon said: “Arsenal and Tottenham wanted Jean-Philippe in 2019.”

“Jurgen Klopp, who managed Mainz, had wanted JP before signing Fabinho.

“But we chose Everton because if you arrive straight away at a big club in England, it’s very difficult to make it.

“N’Golo Kante would never have been the player he was at Chelsea if he didn’t arrive at Leicester.”

Of course, it is now hard to judge that decision given Gbamin’s terribly unfortunate injury record did ruin his time at Everton.

And despite featuring in 24 games for Trabzonspor last season, the midfielder is now without a club.

Gbamin had interest from both Arsenal and Tottenham in 2019

Given his transfer fee and reputation at Mainz before joining Everton, it’s pretty remarkable to think that he appeared just eight times for the side.

Some Arsenal and Tottenham fans may consider that they were fortunate to avoid a deal given Gbamin’s injury record.

However, the midfielder may have enjoyed better fortune elsewhere.

Either way, it’s tough for any football fan to see a career like Gbamin’s reach the stage that it has.

Of course, four years later, both Arsenal and Tottenham boast two of the best defensive midfielders in the league.

Martin Keown hailed Declan Rice as Arsenal’s unsung hero as they won a vital game in Seville last night.

And Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs did look to miss Yves Bissouma when controlling the game on Monday against Fulham – one of the most improved players in the league this year.

So whilst Gbamin did have interest from both Tottenham and Arsenal, it would seem the regret would only lay in the player’s side.