If recent reports are to be believed, then Premier League side Watford are now leading the race to sign Arsenal left-back Kieran Gibbs as the Gunners have finally decided to lower their asking price for the home grown full back following numerous club backing out unwilling to pay £15 million for a flop English player in the league.
The 27-year-old was targeted by many Premier League sides and clubs outside England in the summer that includes Newcastle United, Brighton & Hove Albion, AFC Bournemouth apart from Watford. The Hornets were even forced to turn their interest to Middlesbrough defender George Friend after Arsenal revealed the valuation.
However, various reports now claim that the North London side have agreed on a fee of around £5 million for Gibbs although personal terms remain a big hindrance owing to the kind of wage the players earn at the Emirates. Other reports claim that West Bromwich Albion, who were one of the admirers of the player and were waived off by the previous asking price, could land him for a negotiable £7 million now.
From clubs outside England, the player’s representatives are known to have reportedly held talks with Turkish side Galatasaray and another German club, who are unnamed until now. However, Gibbs would prefer remaining in England for now given the World Cup coming up next year and many clubs willing to have him.
Although his wage expectations have been a stumbling block until now, with Arsenal willing to offload him as fast as possible, a deal should be agreed before Thursday. Marco Silva has Jose Holebas as the only natural left back on his side and another player in that position is imperative.
And Gibbs could be a perfect fit for him, given his age and defensive attributes. With Arsene Wenger shifting to 3-4-2-1 setup in the dying stages of last season, Gibbs was expected to shine as it was designed to highlight his offensive strengths. But, he failed big time and Arsene Wenger decided to use Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain over him. Now, with Sead Kolasinac arriving from FC Schalke, Gibbs’ chances are all but over.
Gibbs has been with the North London giants for 13 years now since Arsene Wenger half brought him in as a 14-year-old. He has garnered huge chunks of experience at the top level over the years and has played against some of the best players. Wenger had handed the impressive youngster a game in the European platform when he was only 16, back in 2008.
He has played in the Champions League 42 times since then scoring two goals and assisting four times. He has a whopping 137 appearances for Arsenal and Wimbledon but hasn’t been used by the manager once this season. He is also in the final year of his contract with the club.
