West Brom may not be signing Charlie Taylor from Leeds by getting Arsenal’s Kieran Gibbs instead would more than make up for it.
West Bromwich Albion are one of a number of clubs interested in signing Arsenal left-back Kieran Gibbs – who is valued at around £8m – reports the Birmingham Mail.
The Baggies are on the hunt for alternative options on the left side of defence with the Lancashire Telegraph reporting that former target Charlie Taylor is set to join Burnley from Leeds United.
Leeds United’s Charlie Taylor
However, while missing out on Taylor will be a disappointment for Tony Pulis after he was the first manager to show real interest in the 23-year-old this summer, signing Gibbs instead will more than make up for it.
The Mirror had originally quoted £15m to lure he England international, who is about to enter the final year of his current contract, away from the Emirates Stadium.
That price seemed a little steep, but £8m is surely acceptable for a defender with bags of Premier League experience, not to mention that achieved on the European and international stage.
Gibbs may no longer be a key figure for the Gunners, but at 27-years-old he still has much to offer in the English top flight and could be the perfect acquisition for a West Brom side that have perhaps failed to utilise the attacking prowess of their full-backs in recent times.
Pulis likes his teams to defend stoutly, but with goals at the other end not exactly in abundance in 2016/17, the Englishman’s desire to get forward could give the West Midlands side a new dynamic next term.
Arsenal’s Kieran Gibbs in action with Burnley’s Andre Gray
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