Former Blackpool striker Armand Gnanduillet now a free agent after departing Turkish club

The 28-year-old was offered a new contract to remain at Bloomfield Road at the end of last season after finishing the campaign as the club’s top scorer with 18 goals from 36 games in all competitions.

But the Frenchman opted to seek pastures new, eventually joining Turkish Second Division side Altay SK despite previously harbouring hopes of moving to a club in the Championship.

But the move has not panned out as expected, Gnanduillet scoring just two goals from his 15 appearances, most of which came off the bench.

The striker, who has opted to part ways with the club, posted a video to his Instagram page this afternoon from inside a plane landing at Manchester Airport.

It’s also been reported by Turkish media outlets that Gnanduillet is keen to return to England.

Altay, a club based outside the city of Izmir, play their football in the TFF First League, the division below Turkey’s top tier.

“It was learned that striker Armand Gnanduillet left the team,” Altay posted on the club’s official Twitter account.

“At the beginning of the season, it was stated that the Ivory Coast striker transferred from England's Blackpool team was unhappy and said goodbye to his teammates.”

Gnanduillet first joined the Seasiders in the summer of 2016 after spending time with Chesterfield, Tranmere Rovers, Oxford United, Stevenage and Leyton Orient.

He helped the club seal an instant return to League One in his first season, scoring a vital header during the play-off semi-final second leg against Luton Town.

The bustling forward briefly left the Fylde Coast in 2018 to sign for South African outfit Baroka FC, only to return to Bloomfield Road two months later.

Baroka failed to register the Frenchman having already exceeded their foreign player quota.

Gnanduillet enjoyed his most prolific season to date during the 2017/18 campaign, scoring 14 times.

He went one better last term, topping Blackpool’s scoring charts with 15 league goals which saw him sit joint second in the list of League One’s top marksmen.

His impressive form attracted the attention of Charlton Athletic during the January transfer window after the Addicks had come close to signing him the previous summer.

Gnanduillet left the club having netted 43 times in 145 games for the Seasiders.

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