Could Chester be cheaper option for Southampton than Ben Gibson?

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Southampton are reportedly interested in Middlesbrough’s Ben Gibson, but at £8m would Aston Villa defender James Chester be a better option?

Southampton are among a quartet of Premier League clubs interested in signing Ben Gibson from Middlesbrough this summer, according to the Daily Mail.

Everton, Leicester City and West Ham United are also keen on Gibson, who could be allowed to leave Boro after they missed out on promotion back to the Premier League in 2017/18.

Manager Tony Pulis wants to raise funds for new signings and the Sun reported last month that the defender is rated at around £20m.

Other options

Rather than entering an expensive bidding war for Gibson perhaps the Saints should look elsewhere in the Championship and to cash-strapped Aston Villa.

The Birmingham club need to settle their tax bill with HMRC in order to avoid administration, as reported by the Telegraph, and could therefore sell some key players.

Among them is James Chester, who played every league game for the Villans on their run to the playoff final and greatly impressed, with several sides from the top flight showing interest as a result.

It is believed that Chester is valued at around £8m, with Brighton and Hove Albion having already had a serious inquiry knocked back.