According to various reports, Leicester City will be plotting a summer move for one of Premier League’s exciting revelations this season, Ben Gibson. The Middlesbrough centre-half has been one of the few positives the Riverside will look back at from this season and numerous teams like Tottenham Hotspur, Everton, Arsenal and Manchester City have kept tabs on him.
After a devastating start to theseason as defending champions, Leicester City have pretty much held the mast steady with a series of wins since the controversial sacking of Claudio Ranieri. The Foxes will, of course, be having different targets next season from what they had this time as the club looks to instil fresh blood to avoid a panicky transition stage. And players like Gibson are the ideal candidates to take them forward.
The aged legs of Wes Morgan and Robert Huth have cost Leicester this season big time and manager Craig Shakespeare is well aware of their expiry dates. Gibson sits at the top of Leicester’s priority list in the summer and the Foxes are reportedly willing to offer in the region of £30 million for the 24-year-old that Boro is demanding for their prized asset.
With the summer transfer window approaching fast, Leicester will definitely have to lock this deal up without delay as has been the case with Burnley’s Michal Keane earlier. The Foxes took their time in landing the Clarets defender and might have missed out on him now.
Though Boro are in real danger of getting relegated this season, they have had some solid defensive displays this season. The Teesside has conceded just 37 goals this season, which is lesser than the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool who are battling for the top four places, and Gibson and company have played a significant role in that.
Gibson has netted once and assisted the same number of times this season. An academy product of Boro, Gibson has spent loan stints in numerous lower tier sides before breaking into the first team like Plymouth, York City and Tranmere Rovers. Boro kept him since 2013 and he has been an important player for them.
At 185cm, Gibson is definitely fitting to the Premier league requirements and has the physicality to sustain the rigours of the high-paced league. A centre-back by nature, Gibson can also play as a left-back.
Leicester City are experiencing a huge crisis at the back with Wes Morgan a huge doubt for the second leg away at Vicente Calderon and Robert Huth suspended.
