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Everton star who can ‘be worth more than €60m’ should ignore advice on position – Opinion

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Versatility in football can be both a blessing and a curse.

On one hand, a player’s ability to play in multiple positions can be great for both the team and athlete as they can get to benefit with having a name who can fill a role on the pitch on the fly.

Yet, on the other, playing too many positions can see a player lose track of their ways and cloud their judgement as to what they think their natural best position is, and this has so far been the case for Jean-Philippe Gbamin.

Although the summer signing is yet to make an appearance for the Toffees since his move from Mainz, the Ivorian international formed a reputation for himself in Germany as a versatile, defensive player.

Indeed, numbers from Transfermarkt show that Gbamin played a multitude of positions for the Bundesliga club, yet despite being signed by Everton seemingly as a replacement for Idrissa Gueye, the former Mainz midfielder’s agent, Bernard Collignon has claimed that his client should be played as a centre-back.

Collignon told Sport Mania via Sports Witness: “It is time for him to choose a position and to assert himself at this position (central defence). According to me in central defence, he will become a player who will be worth more than €60m, so it’s time for him in central defence because, in my opinion, that’s where he would make an excellent career.”

Whilst it won’t be surprising to see Gbamin play in central defence on some occasions for the Toffees, it seems likely that the 24-year-old Ivorian will be slotted into midfield when he is back from injury.

With Gueye gone to PSG, a big hole needs to be plugged in the Everton squad, and Gbamin is the best candidate suited to fill this role in the absence of the now Ligue 1 midfielder and was seemingly brought in to necessitate this particular problem, with a scout report from Squawka claiming that the former Bundesliga is more than qualified to do this..

Gbamin could well depart Everton for a colossal fee in the future, but the Ivorian is more likely to do that operating in the midfield rather than playing in central defence with the likes of Yerry Mina and Michael Keane.

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