Burnley outcast Ben Gibson wants to stay in the Premier League with Watford reportedly battling Championship Boro for his signature.
Ben Gibson wants to stay in the Premier League with the Burnley misfit likely to choose Watford ahead of an emotional return to Middlesbrough, according to the Northern Echo.
To say Gibson has not lived up to expectations at Turf Moor would be a serious understatement. A centre-back who cost Burnley a club-record £15 million in the summer of 2018 has played just 63 minutes of Premier League football under Sean Dyche – all of those coming in a 5-1 thrashing at home to Everton.
In fact, he hasn’t made an appearance in any competition since August’s shock EFL Cup defeat to third-tier Sunderland.
So no wonder a defender who was handed an England call-up less than two years ago wants to cut ties with Burnley before Friday’s transfer deadline.
A return to Middlesbrough, where Gibson rose through the ranks before becoming captain, will no doubt appeal but the 27-year-old appears to be following his head rather than his heart.
According to the Northern Echo, Gibson wants to salvage his Premier League career and Watford, therefore, is his preferred destination. The Sun claims that Nigel Pearson’s Hornets are willing to pay his £40,000-a-week wages if Burnley let Gibson move to Vicarage Road on loan with an option to buy.
Gibson should find first-team football easier to come by at Watford but that does not mean he will be guaranteed a place in Pearson’s starting XI. The Hornets already have Christian Kabasele and the underrated Craig Cathcart at their disposal while Craig Dawson has been much-improved since the former Leicester boss took over.
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