Everton have confirmed the signing of Jean-Philippe Gbamin from Bundesliga club Mainz for an undisclosed fee reported to be £25million.
Idrissa Gueye s transfer to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday left a void in Everton s midfield, with boss Marco Silva having previously confirmed the club would need a replacement lined up if the Senegal international were to leave.
Despite links to Southampton s Mario Lemina, it is Gbamin who has been brought in, with the 23-year-old agreeing a five-year deal at Goodison Park.
It s a big moment with a lot of emotion and now it’s on me to prove on the pitch why they bought me, Gbamin told Everton s website.
I m excited because Everton is a great club here in England with a big history and ambition so I didn t think for more than a moment I wanted to come here.
| Good evening, Blues
— Everton (@Everton)
Gbamin, who joined Mainz from Lens in 2016, made 31 appearances in the Bundesliga last season, scoring twice.
The Ivory Coast international is also capable of playing at right-back and centre-back, and becomes Everton s fourth signing of the close season after Jonas Lossl, Andre Gomes and Fabian Delph.
Everton look set to make a fifth addition in the coming days, with Juventus striker Moise Kean reportedly due to undergo a medical on Saturday ahead of a proposed £29million move from the Serie A champions.