Newcastle United were reportedly put off by Arsenal’s initial valuation of England left-back Kieran Gibbs.
Understandably, Arsenal’s £15 million valuation appeared to make Newcastle United think twice about making a move for Kieran Gibbs this summer, as reported by ESPN.
Left-back may be one of the weakest areas of Rafael Benitez’s squad with the expected departures of Achraf Lazaar and Massadio Haidara set to leave the steady if unspectacular Paul Dummett as the only senior option.
And Gibbs is a ten-time international who has played at the top level throughout his professional career. He’d also add that attacking thrust that the more defensively minded Dummett struggles to offer.
Arsenal’s Kieran Gibbs needs a fresh start
Yet, the fact that Gibbs has made just 11 Premier League starts in the last two seasons, firmly stuck behind Nacho Monreal in the pecking order, suggests that Arsenal’s £15 million asking price is ambitious to say the least.
However, with The Mirror now claiming that The Gunners have reduced their valuation by almost half, now demanding just £8 million, that may well change Newcastle’s stance.
The report adds that Gibbs is seeking a £70,000-a-week deal – something that is certainly within The Magpies’ budget.
And manager Benitez is understood to believe that the 27-year-old would add a vital dash of Premier League experience to a backline which appeared increasingly leaky in the second half of the Championship season in 2016/17.
It’s not often an England international, albeit one who has tumbled down the pecking order, is available for a seven figure sum. Therefore, a reduced fee makes Newcastle’s first big-money summer signing something of a no-brainer.
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