Stoke make opening £12m offer for Middlesbrough defender Ben Gibson.
Middlesbrough’s Ben Gibson applauds fans after the game
Stoke City have made an opening bid of £12m for Middlesbrough defender Ben Gibson as they look to steal a march on other interested parties.
The Stoke Sentinel reports that the Potteries are looking to get ahead of Leicester City and West Bromwich Albion – who are believed to be the other two serious contenders for Gibson’s signature – and seal a deal for the 24-year-old.
However, their offer is some distance short of the £20m Boro are hoping to get for one of their prized assets, who impressed in 2016/17 despite their relegation from the Premier League.
So good were Gibson’s performances in a struggling team, in fact, that Gareth Southgate called him up to his England squad towards the end of the season, although the centre-back is still yet to earn his first senior cap.
England manager Gareth Southgate during the press conference
It is the Englishman’s desire to succeed on the international stage, especially in a World Cup year, that makes his exit from the Riverside Stadium all the more likely.
Yet whether Stoke have done enough to convince both Middlesbrough and the player himself to make the switch to Staffordshire remains to be seen.
Middlesbrough’s Ben Gibson in action with West Bromwich Albion’s Salomon Rondon
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