West Bromwich Albion have been linked with the Middlesbrough man if their experienced stopper leaves.
According to the Birmingham Mail, West Bromwich Albion are targeting Middlesbrough’s Ben Gibson if they sell Jonny Evans in January, and while the 24-year-old would not be an easy target to secure, replacing one with the other could be very smart business from Baggies boss Alan Pardew.
As good as Evans has been this season, a reported price tag of £30million means West Brom should seriously consider cashing in and replacing the Northern Ireland international with a player who is five years his junior but also seemingly destined for the top.
Evans has a few years left at the top but Gibson could be performing there for close to a decade, and West Brom would arguably be no worse off with one than the other.
While Gibson would not come cheap, it is hard to see him costing more than £20- £25million, especially if Middlesbrough fail to secure promotion this season.
Keeping Evans until the summer and then replacing him with the Boro man could suit all parties, allowing West Brom to bring in some additional case and another quality centre-back to boot.
Only time will tell how this one plays out, but the prospect of West Brom making a huge profit on a player signed for £6million (BBC) and soon to be 30 simply cannot be ignored.
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