Joe Worrall will only leave Nottingham Forest if he is guaranteed a starting role at his new club, with Burnley looking to secure a swap deal which would see Ben Gibson go in the other direction, according to the Sun (16 August, page 59).
While the departure of academy graduate Worrall would leave a sizeable void at the heart of Sabri Lamouchi’s backline, there is a very real chance that Gibson would be not only a fine replacement but an upgrade too.
It is just a few years since Gibson captained Middlesbrough to promotion after all, before eanring a call-up to Gareth Southgate’s England squad after making a superb impact in the Premier League.
Yes, the £15 million centre-half has endured a miserable spell at Turf Moor, playing just 63 minutes of football in two years. But, at Championship level, you will struggle to find a better defender.
And the Sun reports that Burnley would happily hand Gibson over to Forest as part of a deal that would see Worrall go in the other direction.
It is no secret that Sean Dyche is a huge fan of the former Rangers loanee, although there is a long way to go before Worrall is posing for photos in claret and blue.
After starting each and every one of Forest’s 46 league games in 2019/20, the 23-year-old man mountain wants assurances that he will be offered guaranteed first-team football at Turf Moor.
Burnley, however, would be in no position to provide such a promise if the reliable Ben Mee and the exceptional James Tarkowski stay for another season at Burnley.
Dyche is also a big fan of eternal benchwarmer Kevin Long.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
