Scottish Premiership champions Celtic reportedly wanted to rescue Watford and Middlesbrough target Ben Gibson from his Premier League nightmare at Burnley.
Sean Dyche insists Ben Gibson was never likely to leave Burnley during the January transfer window, in quotes reported by Lancs Live, despite claims that Watford, Celtic and Middlesbrough wanted to sign the £15 million benchwarmer.
A man who joined The Clarets in a club-record deal in the summer of 2018 has spent much of his time in Turf Moor collecting splinters in the dugout.
During 18 frustrating months in Lancashire, Gibson has played just 63 minutes of Premier League football and, despite being linked with a host of clubs during the January transfer window, a defender who was handed an England call up just two years ago is yet to awaken from his Burnley nightmare.
According to TEAMtalk, Watford were confident of beating Scottish Premiership champions Celtic to Gibson’s signature in the January transfer window but, in the end, no move materialised.
A mooted return to Middlesbrough, whom he captained to promotion in 2016, also came to nothing.
Though that hardly caught Dyche by surprise.
“No, not really,” the gravel-voiced gaffer replied when asked if Gibson was ever close to leaving Burnley last month.
Dyche rates the 27-year-old highly but, with Ben Mee and James Tarkowski avoiding injuries or suspensions to start every one of Burnley’s 25 Premier League games this season, circumstances have not been kind to Gibson.
Celtic’s interest came right out of the blue but it must be said that Neil Lennon’s league leaders are hardly overloaded with natural options at centre-back. And their defensive ranks are set to be stretched to their limit as Lennon attempts to introduce a new 3-5-2 system at Parkhead.
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